This guide explains how to watch 2025 IFSC Climbing World Championships live streams over the first round of the competition. There are free viewing options in the US and Canada, and we also explain how you can use a safe VPN to watch your usual coverage if you're away from home.

We're approaching the start of the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Championships, but there's still time to grab a free stream and catch the action ahead of lead climbing qualification on day one (Sept 21, 6am BST / 1 am ET).

The IFSC World Climbing Championships is different from the World Cup season. It’s a stand-alone event, held every two years, that crowns world champions in each discipline.

This week's 19th edition takes place in Seoul, South Korea, where the world's best boulderers, speed climbers, and lead climbers will compete against each other over 7 days of blister-inducing holds.

Multiple world champion and legend of the sport, Kim Jain will be in front of her home crowd alongside Seo Chaehyun.

Each discipline has separate medals. Unlike the Olympics, there’s no combined format here—so a climber can become world champion in one discipline without competing in the others.

Read on to find out how and where to watch the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Championships wherever you are in the world.

Our guide to rock climbing terms will help you keep up with any unfamiliar jargon in the commentary, and if you want to give this exciting sport a try for yourself, you can also read about getting started in climbing.

Watch the IFSC Climbing World Championships for free in the U.S. and Canada

Want to watch from the U.S. or Canada? Then you're in luck, as you'll be able to stream the entire 2025 competition for free on the IFSC YouTube channel. In addition to live coverage, you can find highlights, interviews, and other awesome content from the competition. Viewers outside of the States and Canada can also access this content, but live coverage will be blocked (hence why you might need a good quality VPN).

If you're lucky enough to be in the U.S. or Canada, your viewing options aren't limited either, as live coverage is also available on the Olympics channel via Olympics.com. Here, you'll have access to even more highlights, build-up, and reaction to competition.

Traveling outside the U.S or Canada? You can still watch live as usual by using a quality VPN like NordVPN, which allows you to access the streams as if you were sitting on your sofa back home. Find out more below.

Use a VPN to watch the Climbing World Championships Seoul from anywhere

If you’re traveling overseas during the 2025 World Championships, geo-blocking restrictions mean you probably won't be able to watch as you usually would back home.

That doesn't mean you have to miss out, however. All you need to do to watch as if you were back home is get yourself a VPN (Virtual Private Network) – assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, of course. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, meaning the service can’t work out where you are. As an added bonus, the info going back and forth is also entirely encrypted.

In a competitive field, our expert colleagues at TechRadar put NordVPN at the top of the podium for VPN services. Right now, you can snag up to 70% off NordVPN, but don't sleep on this deal - it ends on July 31.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Watch the IFSC World Championships from the UK and Europe

Thanks to a recently agreed rights deal, viewers in the United Kingdom and Europe can stream most of the 2025 IFSC sport climbing events exclusively on Warner Bros Discovery’s streaming services.

In the UK and Ireland that means TNT Sports, which you can access via a subscription to Discovery+ Premium. It will cost you £30.99 per month in the UK and you’ll also get access to Champions League (TechRadar) and Premier League football, Premiership rugby, cycling and loads more top sporting action. Alternatively, TNT Sports can be added to your Sky, BT, EE or Virgin Media TV package – costs vary by platform.

In Europe, you can watch 2025 Climbing World Championships live streams on Eurosport or via the Discovery+ platform.

And don’t forget, if you’re going to be traveling away from home during any of the Climbing World Championships events, you can use a VPN to watch your usual service as if you were back home.

About this week's event

he 19th edition of the IFSC Climbing World Championships will be held in Seoul, South Korea, from 21 to 28 September 2025 at the KSPO Dome. The event covers three main disciplines—Lead, Boulder, and Speed—as well as Para-Climbing.

In Lead, top climbers include Austria’s Jakob Schubert, the defending men’s world champion, and Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, whose haul of world-championship medals is just below Schubert’s but whose recent form makes her a favourite. (per IFSC Climbing) In Speed, world record holders such as Sam Watson and Aleksandra Miroslaw will be among the favourites, though some previous champions (such as Veddriq Leonardo and Desak Dewi) will not compete (per IFSC Climbing)

In Boulder, France and Japan present deep lineups. Janja Garnbret will defend the women’s title; for the men, since Mickael Mawem (the 2023 men’s Boulder champ) is not competing, a new champion is assured. Rising climbers, new finalists and young talent also feature prominently in previews.

The competition schedule starts with qualifications in the early days, leading into finals for Speed and Boulder mid-week, and culminating with Lead finals toward the end.

IFSC World Championships Schedule

All times local (Korea Standard Time, UTC+9)

Sunday 21 September – 14:00 – Lead qualification rounds begin

Monday 22 September – 09:00 – More Lead qualification rounds

Tuesday 23 September – 09:00 – Boulder qualifications for men & women

Wednesday 24 September – 09:00 – Women’s Speed qualification

Wednesday 24 September – 20:00 – Women’s Speed final

Thursday 25 September – 09:00 – Men’s Speed qualification

Thursday 25 September – 20:00 – Men’s Speed final

Friday 26 September – 10:00 – Lead semi-finals (both men & women)

Friday 26 September – 20:00 – Lead finals for both genders

Saturday 27 September – 10:00 – Women’s Boulder semi-final

Saturday 27 September – 20:00 – Women’s Boulder final

Sunday 28 September – 10:00Men’s Boulder semi-final

Sunday 28 September – 20:00Men’s Boulder final

• Everything to know about climbing and mountaineering

Climbing Africa's tallest mountain is no small feat. The trip to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, takes trekkers through 19,341ft (5,895m) of varied African terrain, including dense jungles and arid desert landscapes. There's also dangerous wildlife to contend with, and the harrowing effects of hiking 4 to 10 miles (6.5 to 16km) a day in rapidly increasing altitude.

On average, between three and 10 people die each year on the mountain, often due to altitude sickness or hiking injuries. However, the dangers aren't enough to stop a team of blind hikers from attempting to make history by climbing the mountain next month.

All 11 trekkers from the Kilimanjaro Blind project are either fully blind or visually impaired and are making their final preparations for the daunting week-long ascent. If successful, they will become the largest group of blind climbers to scale Kilimanjaro.

They will be assisted throughout by guides, who will offer physical support and give crucial information about the underfoot terrain ahead.

Calgary hiker Peter Quaiattini is one of the organizers of the trek, and explained some of the difficulties he expects to encounter to the Calgary Eyeopener.

"The risk with climbing Kilimanjaro, failure rate is altitude sickness, you're going to almost 20,000ft," he said.

"By having a seven-day ascent, it gives your body more time to acclimatize to the higher elevation."

Altitude sickness is caused by rapid exposure to the low oxygen levels at altitude. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath, but sufferers can sometimes experience more severe effects like hallucinations.

Spending time in the mountains mitigates the risks by saturating the oxygen in your red blood cells and preparing your body for the effects of altitude.

Among those summitting the mountain is retired NASA engineer Michael McCulloch, who has shared his videos of his workouts and preparation on social media.

"Right down the road from me, a few blocks down, there's a fourteen-story professional building," he explains on Instagram.

"Here I am in my Kili training centre doing stairs. This week I'm hitting 75 floors up and down," he jokes from a stairwell.

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Trail running superstar Kilian Jornet has begun his latest crazy adventure - climbing 67 of America's tallest mountains, and hiking and cycling between them.

Jornet began his States of Altitude Project last week on Longs Peak in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, and is aiming to summit every mountain over 14,000ft (4,267m) in the US, aside from those in Alaska, as fast as he can.

Following his initial summit, Jornet continued to the South Arapaho Peak on the Continental Divide and went down to set off on a 49-mile (79km) cycle ride south to the Echo Lake campground. Six hours of sleep later, he was back in the mountains, working his way through Colorado's Mosquito mountain range.

"Kilian barely slept following the LA Freeway epic, and he woke up feeling every one of those 16 hours as well as the Colorado altitude in his body," explains a post on his Instagram account.

"The morning brought Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) and Bierstadt, but Colorado’s afternoon storms had other plans. A weather system rolled in, forcing route changes that added 4 hours to the day," it continued.

"In just over 41 hours of movement & 160 miles (259km) on foot and by bike, Kilian has now summited 6 Colorado 14ers."

At the time of writing, Kilian remains in Colorado as he attempts to tick off each of the 58 peaks above 14,000 feet (4,267m) that the state has to offer.

Jornet, who's previously set records on the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, and scaled Everest without supplemental oxygen, announced his latest adventure in August, and says there are two main reasons for doing it now.

"What I experienced in the Pyrenees and the Alps motivated me to keep exploring this dimension of long traverses with a strong physical, cognitive, and creative component," he said before setting off.

"It’s also about exploring the American West - the vastness of the terrain and the cultures that have lived and continue to live there, as well as a nature that is often wild and incredibly diverse, ranging from alpine areas to dense forests and deserts."

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Love trail running? The latest documentary from British outdoors brand Rab is here, and it's not one to miss.

Set in Japan's spectacular Northern Alps, 'In the footsteps of Banryu' follows a team of expert trail runners retracing the routes established by the 18th-century monk known as 'the father of Japanese alpinism'.

British film-maker and trail running enthusiast Jake Baggaley leads the 37 mile (60km) journey over the sharp ridgelines and cliffside paths of the Kamikochi, Yarigatake, and Hotaka Circuit routes, which culminates in a record time attempt of Mount Yake-dake, an active volcano.

Jake's joined on his journey by a combination of trail runners, mountain guides, and filmmakers, to follow the routes established by Banryu.

"Ever since my first visit to Japan, nearly a decade ago, I've been captivated by these mountains," explains Jake in the documentary.

"The tales of the infamous Daikiretto ridge and Mount Yari, first climbed by the monk Banryu from Kamikochi, have captured my imagination. They're the origin stories of alpinism in Japan, and the idea of following in Banryu’s footsteps is what's inspired this adventure."

The father of Japanese alpinism

Banryu Shonin was an 18th-century monk and pioneering Japanese alpinist, well-known for his historic ascents in Japan's Northern Alps.

In 1828, he became the first person to successfully climb Mount Yargatei, a 10,433ft (3,180m) peak in the southern part of the mountains, home to plenty of exposed ridges and steep scrambling sections.

Banryu returned to climb the mountain on multiple occasions after his initial ascent and attached ropes and iron chains to challenging sections, so others could follow in his footsteps.

"Mount Yarigatake, towering over Kamikochi, was first climbed by the ascetic priest Banryu," explains the documentary.

"He is known as a pioneering mountaineer and lived and trained in a cave deep in the mountains. Banryu is called the father of Japanese alpinism."

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A former rugby star, who was told he would never walk again after breaking his neck, has become the first person to scale a previously unsummitted peak in Krgyzstan's Tian Shan mountain range.

Ed Jackson, 36, sustained the life-changing injury in 2017 when he dove into the shallow end of a swimming pool and has lived with various physical and neurological disabilities ever since.

On Friday, August 21, he returned home from a month-long expedition to the remote Tien Shan mountains, where he became the first person to reach the unexplored summit of a peak he's dubbed 'Hope Mountain'.

The challenge, which has raised £6,000 ($8,000) for his Millimeters to Mountains (M2M) foundation and various children's organizations, is the culmination of years of hard work. Jackson and his wife Lois launched M2M a year after his injury to help facilitate outdoor adventures for people facing adversity.

"There was a lot of meaning behind reaching the summit, other than just ticking a box to stand on top of it," Jackson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Whatever your limitations are, you can get out and do extraordinary things."

Jackson and his team overcame plenty of tricky terrain and challenging conditions during the ascent, negotiating icy glacial slopes, uneven valleys, and steep, elevated ridges. The former England and Wales player says the help he received from locals was one of the highlights of the adventure.

"One of the most amazing things was connecting with the local shepherds and the nomads in the mountain," says Jackson.

"They became invaluable for us to be able to get our kit into different locations, they were lending us their horses or coming with us."

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Attempts to save a Russian climber who became stranded atop a 24,406ft (7,439m) peak in Kyrgyzstan have been abandoned after multiple disastrous rescue attempts.

Natalia Nagovitsina became stuck in perilous conditions atop the towering Victory Peak for over two weeks, after she broke her leg in an accident near the summit on August 12.

Efforts to save the 47-year-old have been hampered by harsh weather, including temperatures down to -9.4°F (-23°C), and the high risks involved in a potential rescue. Earlier this month, Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia died from hypothermia after attempting to deliver vital supplies to Nagovitsina, including a sleeping bag and a gas cooker.

Two other rescue attempts have failed, as one helicopter crashed on the mountain, and another abandoned its efforts due to poor weather. Rescue pilots were due to make a third attempt on August 25, but again abandoned their efforts due to the weather.

"Professional pilots flew in from Italy. But when they flew to the area by helicopter, the weather was not favourable. Before that, they invited a drone pilot who was ordered to probe the area, but it was not possible," explained Ilim Karypbekov, vice president of the Kyrgyz Mountaineering Federation.

"The forecast said that in the coming week, five or six days, the weather would not be stable enough to fly a helicopter, let alone a drone. So they called it off.

"They saw that there was no point in waiting that long. No one could survive that long. They decided that it was pointless to wait any longer."

Despite the dangers, Nagovitsina's son, Mikhail, believes his mother is still alive and is urging Russian authorities to organize another rescue operation.

During a brief weather window earlier this month, officials were able to use drones and helicopters to capture footage of the injured mountaineer. According to Mikhail, the video, shot on August 19, shows his mother moving and waving.

"In the video I received, it is clearly visible that seven days after losing contact, she is actively waving her hand, full of strength," he says.

"My mother is an experienced climber...and is also in very good shape.

"I am sure that she is alive and wants the search to be resumed."

No further rescue attempts have been made. Nagovitsina's body will likely be recovered next spring, when conditions improve, according to Ilim Karypbekov.

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A student at the University of Colorado Boulder looks set to outdo all of her classmates' summer vacation stories after she successfully climbed one of the most difficult climbing routes in the world over the break.

Katie Kelble, 20, has become one of only a few climbers to successfully free climb The American Way in Kyrgyzstan.

The American Way is a 5.13a route on the northwest face of Pik Slesova ("the Russian Rower"), a granite tower in the Ak-su Valley that rises 13,910ft (4,240m). The tower also houses the famous Perestroika Crack (5.12b), which was free climbed by Greg Child and Lynn Hill in 1995.

Kelble, an aerospace engineering student, reveals that not only did she manage the feat despite undergoing wrist surgery in late March, but the route was her first big wall climb.

"Not enough words to explain how stoked I am about this one! Somehow snagged a free ascent of this brilliant route. With 20 pitches of beautiful granite, this may be the best route I’ve ever done," writes Kelble on Instagram, adding that the climbing may not even have been the most difficult aspect of her adventure

"Hardest part of the trip was having enough self-restraint to not bring home a cat."

The climber took three days to complete the 3,116ft (950m) ascent, which stands a little higher than El Capitan in the Karavshin Valley. Many compare the area to Yosemite National Park in terms of terrain, though it's considerably more remote.

The 20-pitch climb was freed in 2019 by Eric Bissell, Brent Barghahn, David Allfrey and Nik Berry. Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger completed a free ascent in 2021, which was documented in the HBO series The Edge of Earth.

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• The best approach shoes: for alpine adventures, via ferrata, scrambling, and more

Lowa was founded in Bavaria, Germany in 1923 and has spent the last 100 years crafting – and forging a reputation for – high quality outdoor footwear. It has remained true to its core competency during this time and hasn’t made any significant forays into apparel or other such business lines – though it launched its first three pairs of trail running shoes in 2023. However, Lowa’s main focus remains hiking boots, shoes, mountaineering boots and the various niches in between.

The Cevedale Pro GTX Mid is one of the brand's standard mountaineering boots, a B2-rated powerhouse for alpine exploits and winter conditions. It’s compatible with a C2, semi-automatic crampon, making it suitable for winter walking and general mountaineering, but not steeper ice climbing or high-altitude activities, which require a C3 boot.

It’s available in the UK, alongside the burlier, warmer Alpine Expert II GTX. However, despite Lowa’s mountaineering boot offering being more substantial in the States, the Cevedale Pro GTX isn’t one of those available there. However, it’s a very similar boot to the slightly lighter Cevedale II GTX, which is available in the US for $304 at the time of writing.

First impressions

The Cevedale Pro GTX marries modern stylings onto a classy frame to give both an impression of timeless quality and technical capability. Visually, B2 boots tend to go one of three ways: all guns blazing towards a racing car style aesthetic – think the Scarpa Ribelle Light; lean heavily on a classic, burly leather boot look – Zamberlan 1000 Baltoro, I’m looking at you; or find a happy medium. The racing car vibe suggests speed and lightweight capability, while the classic aesthetic suggests durability, something you can really trust. I reckon the Cevedale Pro GTX balances both these, both in terms of look and performance.

It's not quite as heavy as the much-lauded Scarpa Manta Tech but it’s obviously meatier than the La Sportiva Trango Tower GRX or the Salewa Ortles Edge Mid GTX. Personally, I don’t get on with the Scarpa Manta Techs. I find them too cumbersome and prefer something a little lighter. The Trangos have been my go to for many years and they’ll serve as my benchmark when considering the Cevedale.

Here, you get all the usual features you’d expect: a reinforced TPU lip for taking a C2 crampon’s heel clip, a mighty toe box for kicking steps in the snow, a Gore-Tex membrane to keep things dry, and a grippy Vibram sole with a lug pattern designed for gripping rock. To wear, it feels reassuringly sturdy and supportive, though not as immediately nimble as the Trango or the Ortles Edge. I like the flexibility at the ankle – a feature it shares with the Ortles Edge. In my experience, this is a region that can become uncomfortable on long mountain days, so any additional give is a bonus.

Features

The Cevedale is highly protective, both against rock abrasion and the elements. The latter is down to its Gore-Tex bootie, which provides an effective shield against water ingress, enhanced by the boot’s stretch gaiter. The upper is made from suede, a soft cut of leather that’s more pliable than the forms of leather found closer to the surface of the hide. While it’s not as hardwearing as higher-grain materials like nubuck, it's more durable than many synthetic materials.

A wrap-around rubber rand provides an additional shield against the rough stuff, crucial for techniques like wedging, where the foot is literally wedged into a gap in the rock to provide a hold. This feature is fairly standard in these kinds of boots.

There’s plenty to commend in the Cevedale’s lacing system. Like a climbing shoe, it reaches down towards the toes for a more fine-tuned fit. This provides confidence on tiny edges, enabling more precise footwork. In fact, the lacing system is split into two separate zones thanks to the patented I-Locks for customized tightening, enabling the wearer to find the perfect fit for their chosen activity. As an example, you wouldn’t want a tight toe region for a long walk in but once you hit the crag it becomes much more desirable. It’s a similar idea (though a different design) to that seen in Aku’s Rock DFS GTX approach shoes.

Then there’s Lowa’s patented X-Lacing, which holds the tongue in place, stopping it from slipping around during activities, reducing pressure points and the chance of ending up with blisters. It's a great addition.

Vibram provide the Scalatore Evo outsole, which features a hybrid rubber and lug pattern designed for gripping both soft trails and rocky scrambling terrain. The clue is in the name, scalatore is the Italian word for climber or mountaineer and it’s a sole specifically designed for high alpine summits. Like an approach shoe, the lug pattern features flatter climbing zones at the front and rear for enhanced grip on rock, particularly when edging or smearing. Yet the deep lugs also provide claws for boggier terrain.

It's also noticeably rigid, both to provide a solid hold when engaging in precise foot placements and to ensure it binds effectively to a crampon. The last thing you need when exploring at 11,500ft (3,500m) is a crampon coming loose. As is usual, the sole curves upwards at the toes, adding reinforcement to this key region and enabling the wearer to be aggressive when kicking steps in snow.

In terms of sustainability, Lowa point out that the Cevedale is resoleable – it even recommends a specific UK provider to do the work on its website. This sort of construction is very welcome in this day and age and makes the initial cost of the boot seem more attractive.

In the mountains

I’m yet to test the Cevedales in a winter or truly alpine environment, my test period having started in the spring. However, what I was able to asses was their suitability on long approaches and scrambles in the testing, rocky mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) in North Wales.

They have been a pleasure to wear, and I've found them to be hugely accomplished on technical, rocky terrain. They’re not ideal for longer walk ins, being heavier than some B2 boots. As is often the case with mountaineering boots, their rigidity makes them feel much heftier than other forms of hiking footwear. A good option for long walk ins would be to wear a lightweight pair of shoes up to the more technical ground.

Nevertheless, the soft cuff tongue, elasticated heel gaiter and interior cushioning made them more comfortable than most boots of comparable weight. I found them much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than the Scarpa Manta Tech, though the La Sportiva Trango would be my preferred option for really long days in the mountains. The levels of stability and support are superb, a result of Lowa’s expertly made last: the foot-shaped mould that guides the design of its boots.

Romping through puddles in mountaineering boots is one of life's great joys – you'll feel like you're invincible to water ingress, especially when you pair them with gaiters. The same is true for the Cevedales, I was able to trust them to keep my feet dry throughout my adventures.

All in all, this is a very strong all-round mountaineering boot. My personal preference is for something a little lighter, though for outings where a hefty boot offers reassurance on really technical terrain, the Cevedale is a very good shout. The fact that it's fully resoleable only adds to its attraction.

Also consider

Comparison table

London-born Edward Whymper was a leading figure of the Golden Age of Alpinism. Indeed, it was his fateful first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 that brought about the end of this period, a time when the great peaks of the Alps were first climbed, often by wealthy Brits expertly guided by locals. The Matterhorn would be the most enduring event in Whymper’s legacy, yet he was a truly pioneering early proponent of alpinism, one of Britain’s greatest ever mountaineers, with many impressive feats to his name.

French brand Cimalp clearly holds Whymper with enough regard to have named one of its best-selling technical fleece jackets after him. It’s designed as a mid-layer that’s “perfect for shifting mountain conditions, climbing or trekking activities” and is available in both men’s and women’s versions. Cimalp namechecked mountaineering, climbing and ski touring as it’s ideal uses, though I had a suspicion it’d be a good option for pretty much all outdoor pursuits.

I’ve tested half a dozen pieces of Cimalp kit over the last few years and was stoked to try out this high-performance mid-layer during my mountain jaunts. Allez!

First impressions

The Whymper is very similar in terms of design, features and function to Berghaus’ MTN Guide MW Hoody, a mid-layer that's part of the British brand's premium Extrem range for mountain professionals. The Whymper is obviously tailored towards active use in the mountains, with a pair of front chest pockets that are higher than you’d get on a standard hooded jacket. This is to enable the wearer to still have access to the pockets while wearing a harness.

The most obvious feature, as with the Berghaus hoody, is the design of the main fabric. Turn the hoody inside out and its grid-like structure becomes immediately apparent, comprising thousands of rectangular cuts of fleece, much like Polartec's Power Grid design. In this case, it's Cimalp’s Cimagrid, a design intended to provide both warmth and breathability for strenuous outdoor pursuits. The fleece cubes insulate while the gaps between them breathe – simple but effective.

The fit is athletic but not restrictive, ideal for a layer that’ll spend much of its time beneath a waterproof jacket. Partly thanks to this fit, it looks good too. I was testing the Noir-Gris colorway, which has subtle red detailing along the zippers and grey breast sections. I certainly felt great wearing it and I also reckon it represents decent value when compared to the direct competition.

The Whymper is also available in a range of other colors: Blue, Purple, Black, Blue / Green and Green / Yellow for men; and Black, Green, Blue and Purple / Pink for women.

Cimagrid breathable insulation

The feature that elevates the Whymper above your standard mid-layer is its grid-like fleece structure – named Cimagrid. The idea is that the gaps between the tiny, rectangular polyester fleece sections allow the jacket to breathe, thus allowing radiated body heat to escape, wicking moisture away and keeping you cool during dynamic activities. At the same time, the blocks of fleece insulate, keeping you warm at the same time. It’s not quite as dramatic design as the sieve-like face fabric of the Houdini Pace Flow Houdi, but it’s a similar idea.

It's this feature that makes the Whymper so well suited to pursuits where temperature regulation is key. As a mid-layer, it allows warm, moist air to move through the system, continuing the good work of your moisture-wicking base layer.

Another key quality of this fabric is its 6% elastane content, which enables 4-way stretch, meaning the garment is flexible both horizontally and vertically. This is crucial when it comes to the freedom of movement needed for activities like alpinism or skiing, especially given the hoody’s tight fit. Meanwhile, the grid structure also means less weight and greater packability, both big pluses for long adventures in the mountains.

Unfortunately, unlike with the Berghaus equivalent, there’s no mention of recycled materials here, or the jacket’s recyclability at the end of its life. However, Cimalp mostly sources its dyes and pigments from biological sources, its clothing is completely PFC free and its fabrics are always either Bluesign or Oeko-Tex certified – so the brand are making some strides towards a sustainable future.

Other features

As mentioned, the Whymper boasts two large, zippered chest pockets, placed high enough for access when wearing a climbing harness. Both these and the central full-length zipper boast chunky branded pulls for ease of manipulation when wearing hiking gloves. The zippers on the pockets slide up and down with consummate ease, while the central zipper feels slightly more rugged – reassuringly so. Beneath the central zipper is a fabric overlay that stops heat from escaping through this potential area of weakness. Little features like this are very welcome and nod towards the jacket's thoughtful design.

When fully zipped up, the Whymper provides coverage around the neck, a nice touch that provides additional warmth during colder adventures.

The hem and cuffs aren’t adjustable, using elastic rather than drawstrings or Velcro. This isn’t an issue, as they wrap nice and tight, and are easy to loosen with a pull. By keeping things simple, Cimalp have kept weight to a minimum. Likewise, there’s no adjustability in the hood, which sits snug around the head when the front zipper is fully done up. Despite this, its elastane content means that it will take a helmet without any problems.

On the trails

I’ve been wearing the Whymper in the mountains for several months, both as a mid-layer during winter adventures – paired with the excellent Cimalp Cosmiques H Breathable Trekking Jacket – and as an outer on spring and summer exploits in Wales' Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and for everyday wear around England's southwest.

On a wintry week in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, the Whymper was put through its paces during long mountaineering days spent climbing some of Scotland's highest mountains. The Highlands are renowned for their long walk ins, and I found the Whymper was a great choice for these. It provided the additional warmth I needed while effectively regulating my temperature during these strenuous treks. Whenever I needed to dump heat during an ascent, I’d simply open the front zip and let things cool off.

Once up high, the waterproof Cosmiques Jacket was deployed over the top and – in the best way possible – I didn’t notice the Whymper at all. This is a good thing – it means it was doing its job successfully as the meat between my outer and my base layer. The athletic cut meant that my jacket fitted on top of it without issue and I had no qualms with the hoody’s freedom of movement.

For warmer season adventures, the Whymper’s low weight and packability are a boon, as it’ll undoubtedly spend as much – if not more – time scrunched into a daypack as it will on your torso. I encountered mild conditions that really put its breathability to the test and it passed with flying colors. It helped me to regulate my temperature more effectively than a standard, thicker fleece would have.

At the end of the day, it’s down to the wearer to choose when to wear it, when to leave the front zip open and when to stash the jacket away. The upshot is that, for a hiking mid-layer, it does everything that’s asked of it.

When it comes to wind resistance, it’s not as effective as a bulkier fleece. This is the obvious compromise when it comes to breathability. I found that strong wintry gusts would penetrate the grid structure when the hoody was worn as an outer. However, as a mid-layer, it’d usually be paired with a wind-blocking softshell or an even more rugged waterproof jacket, so it’s not a big issue.

Being a technical mountain hoody, it’s perhaps not as suited to everyday walks as a standard fleece jacket. There are no handwarmer pockets here for those casual winter ambles and, as mentioned above, it’ll let wind through more readily than some. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy wearing it for the everyday, it’s just that it’s more geared towards technical use.

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Good news, US climbing fans! One of the nation's most exciting climbing stars is finally back from injury and ready to hit the wall.

Four-time bouldering world champion Natalie Grossman, 24, has been on the sidelines since March after tearing the ACL and meniscus of her left knee, but will be returning to competition at today's North America Cup.

"I get to compete this weekend!" she confirmed via Instagram.

"Today marks 6 months post ACL + meniscus surgery which means I’m finally cleared to lead climb with minimal movement restrictions. Though fully trusting my knee and being in shape is another story."

Although her recovery isn't yet over, Grossman's return to competitive climbing means she could be available for this year's final two IFSC World Cup rounds at the start of September and the World Championships competition at the end of the month.

"Recovery is nowhere near over, but I was given this opportunity and I want to seize it. This is part of the process but it is not the end result! I have no idea what to expect so let’s go have some funnnn and see what happens.

"I’ve poured everything into this long recovery, so no pushing my knee this time. Recovery comes first," concludes her Instagram post.

Who is Natalie Grossman?

Prior to her injury, Grossman's place as the world's best female boulderer was undisputed. The US athlete won four back-to-back World Cup series from 2021 to 2024 and topped the podium at an astonishing eleven World Cup rounds in that time.

She's also been a fierce competitor in the lead climbing World Cup, finishing second and third in the 2021 and 2022 competitions.

Her return from injury will be a welcome sight to climbing fans worldwide, after Grossman missed almost the entire 2025 World Cup season.

Without her, the bouldering competition has been an open affair, with six different winners from the six different rounds this year.

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A 50-year-old climber has died after showing signs of altitude sickness and sustaining serious injuries on Mount Shasta in California's Southern Cascade mountain range.

The unnamed man was descending from the 14,179ft (4,322m) peak when the weather took a turn for the worse and he became disorientated. He also lost contact with his climbing partner in heavy rain and low visibility.

Upon reaching base camp, his companion was unable to contact his friend and called 911 to request emergency help. A nearby search and rescue team promptly launched a rescue effort, but was delayed until the next morning by unforgiving snow and rain on the mountain.

On Sunday, August 17, a search and rescue helicopter located the man's body "at the base of a cliff, wedged between the scree slope and an ice sheet", according to a Facebook post by Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.

Nick Meyers, of the US Forest Service, told SFGate that the man was found several thousand feet lower than the mountain's base camp, and he likely suffered "a slip and fall on the steep section of the mountain".

Mountain safety

Following the incident, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office warned about the risks of high-altitude climbing.

"This climbing accident is the sixth call for service the Sheriff's Office has received on the Clear Creek route in the past two weeks, underscoring that even one of the 'safest' routes up Mount Shasta needs to be approached with significant preparation and caution," continued its Facebook post.

"Multiple hazards, including falling rock, exposed cliff edges, difficult-to-navigate terrain, and the ever-present risk of rapidly changing weather can make this non-technical climb a perilous endeavour for any climber despite their skill and experience level.

"Thus, we encourage everyone attempting to summit the mountain to have a personal SOS beacon, a GPS device to stay on-route, and ideally one or more climbing partners."

What is altitude sickness?

Altitude sickness is caused by exposure to dangerously low oxygen levels at altitude. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath, but sufferers can sometimes experience more severe effects like hallucinations.

To mitigate the risks, climbers often acclimatize to the low oxygen levels by spending time in the mountains or sleeping in hypoxic tents, which mimic the arduous alpine conditions and prepare their bodies for altitude.

For more information, check out our expert guide to avoiding altitude sickness.

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US climbers may be forced to look elsewhere for their gear after a large Canadian brand announced it would stop sales across the US / Canada border due to the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Flashed specialises in bouldering equipment and has earned a stellar reputation for its safe and supportive crash mats and handy climbing accessories.

Despite its position as a major player on the bouldering scene, the Canadian brand says the current tariff situation has forced it to cease retail sales in the US.

"This isn’t a decision we wanted to make," reads a Flashed Instagram post.

"The U.S. climbing community has been an important part of our journey for decades, and we’re deeply grateful for every climber who has supported us, trusted our gear, and brought us along on their adventures.

"While we won’t be able to continue retail sales in the US, our mission to support climbers everywhere remains unchanged. We’ll keep pushing forward, finding ways to connect and contribute to the community we love."

Although Flashed has ended retail sales, its supportive padding is still available to commercial gyms in the US.

"Our commitment to creating safe, high-quality climbing spaces remains unchanged, and we’re proud to keep supporting climbing gyms and their communities across the country," continued the Instagram post.

What are tariffs?

Tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods, which increase their price and aim to make domestically-sourced products more appealing.

In April, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all US goods, along with additional, substantially higher tariffs on products from abroad. Tariffs on Canadian goods have risen and fallen in the months since, and currently sit at 35%.

Following the first wave of tariffs, we caught up with Kent Ebersole, president of America's Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), to ask how they'd affect outdoor-loving Americans.

"These tariffs will raise costs for American manufacturers, retailers, and families," he told us at the time.

“That’s going to slow growth, put pressure on small and mid-sized outdoor companies, and could force some to close their doors. These tariffs also make it more difficult for global outdoor brands to operate in the US and maintain their American workforce."

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US journalist Alec Luhn has spoken out about how he survived for six days on a Norwegian glacier with multiple broken bones and no water.

Luhn, a climate journalist, was reported missing by his wife Veronika Silchenko on August 5 when he failed to show up for his flight back to London after a solo backpacking trip to explore a glacier in Folgefonna National Park. Search and rescue teams found him alive on August 6 and airlifted him to a hospital in Bergen.

Speaking from Bergen, where he continues to receive treatment for his injuries, Luhn says his trip turned into a harrowing survival ordeal when his boot broke, telling Good Morning America that he slid down a steep slope on a mountain near Buarbreen glacier. He hit a rock, which broke his femur and caused fractures to his pelvis and spine.

"I knew I wasn't going to be able to move and get out of there, and so I thought, 'OK, well, I got to essentially make it for at least four days on this mountain, so that people will realize that I'm missing,'" says Luhn.

An experienced hiker used to taking challenging expeditions in remote terrain, Luhn was carrying a tent and sleeping bag to shelter from the elements, and video from his rescue, which you can watch below, shows him dressed in brightly colored clothing to help make him more searchable.

However, he lost his food, water and cellphone in the fall. Initially, he was forced to drink his own urine to survive, a last-resort technique that's saved the lives of other adventurers like Aaron Ralston. On the third day, the weather turned, and he was able to start drinking rainwater.

"I really was desperate for water," recalls Luhn. "I remember, just like, literally licking up every drop of water I could get."

The change in weather also meant he had to endure several days of gale force winds, heavy rain, and near-freezing temperatures, which hampered search efforts, but on the sixth day, Luhn spotted a rescue helicopter overhead and started waving. When he realized the helicopter had missed him, he rigged up a flag using his tent poles and was able to make contact.

"Finally, the door of [the helicopter] opens and somebody waves back at me, and that was the moment I knew it was finally, finally over."

A Facebook update from his wife shares that Luhn underwent successful surgery for his broken femur and fractured pelvis.

Luhn is currently based in London and has reported for National Geographic, New Scientist, The Guardian, The New York Times, the BBC and The Atlantic. He was recently awarded the 2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Kavli Science Journalism Award, the oldest science journalism award in the U.S.

Folgefonna National Park is home to the third-largest glacier on mainland Norway.

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A fallen climber has been rescued after he became trapped behind a rushing California waterfall and remained stuck there for two days.

Ryan Wardwell, 46, was rappelling down the Kern River cliffside in Sequoia National Forest when "extreme hydraulics" forced him off his line, and he fell into an open space behind the Seven Teacups waterfall.

The following day, he was reported missing, and a rescue effort was launched when officials noticed that his car hadn't moved from a nearby parking lot.

Over two days of searching, rescuers used everything from infrared cameras to helicopters, but were unsuccessful until a drone caught sight of the trapped climber behind the waterfall. Wardwell was alive and conscious, but noticeably weak, after spending two days with only damp rocks for company.

Footage posted to Facebook shows rescuers from the Tulare County Sheriff's Office travelling down from a helicopter and hoisting Wardwell to safety.

"It had to have been miserable"

Following his rescue, Sheriff's Office Captain Kevin Kemmerling told the San Francisco Chronicle that Wardwell had "tried for days to escape, but there was nothing he could do to break through.

“There was no way for him to warm up or dry out in there, so it had to have been miserable," he continued.

Kemmerling also suggested that “nobody should be doing stuff like that solo, period," as solo climbers and canyoneers are often unable to get help in emergencies.

Wardwell is now safe and recovering from the ordeal after sustaining a few minor injuries and suffering from dehydration.

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Purity is an overused word in climbing circles and what constitutes a pure approach to climbing has been the subject of endless debate. Sport climbers would assert that climbing on fixed protection allows them to fully focus on technique and the experience. Those daring enough to take a free solo approach would point to the purity of being alone on the wall. Trad enthusiasts extoll the ethical superiority of fixing your own gear to protect a climb, as well as the focus and skill such an approach requires.

It's this quality that sets trad apart. In essence, any wall, cliff, crag, buttress, rib, crack, overhang, chimney or ridge can be a trad climb. With the faff comes the freedom to climb where one will. The world’s greatest trad climbers have tackled some of our planet’s most fearsome lines, leaving behind little trace of their conquest, unlike the bolts left in the wake of a sport climbing project or the emotional toll that free soloing undoubtedly takes on a climber’s loved ones.

In this feature – the more traditional sibling of our greatest sport climbers in history piece – we take a look at some of the world’s greatest contemporary trad climbers. It's a feature that's awash with climbing grades – for context, see our guide to climbing rating systems.

Who are the world’s greatest trad climbers?

The process of whittling down the many legendary trad climbers into the selection below was very much the crux of putting this feature together. Climbers rarely stick religiously to one discipline – the varied joys of trad, sport, competition, big wall, bouldering, free soloing, ice climbing, mountaineering and alpinism mean that the elite often dip their toes into numerous pursuits.

So, with the selection, I’ve tried to focus mostly on those who have made trad their main form of climbing, or who’s achievements in the sport are too impressive to ignore. It would’ve been easy to pop someone like Alex Honnold in here but, despite his trad adventures, he’s better known for other styles and once said that he dislikes ‘all the faffing about that pure trad climbing requires’. So, it’d be rude to leave a true trad disciple out to make space on the list for those less enamored by nuts, hexes and cams.

I’ve also leant towards more contemporary characters that have sent their most impressive climbs in the last couple of decades, rather than legends of the past, such as Lynn Hill, Pete Livesey and Johnny Dawes. Treat the selection as a celebration of great, bold trad climbing and if it sparks debate, so be it. We all love a good debate, after all.

The world's greatest trad climbers

Beth Rodden: American who's up there with the best female climbers in history.

Jacopo Larcher: Tyrloean climber who may have sent the world’s hardest ever trad climb.

Dave MacLeod: Scottish climbing legend and first in the world to climb a graded E11 in 2006.

Hazel Findlay: British all-rounder with a penchant for big wall climbs.

Adam Ondra: Czech climber widely regarded as the best climber in the world today.

Tommy Caldwell: American climber most famous for his staggering ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Cap.

James Pearson: British climber who’s risen to prominence in recent years.

Meet the expert

Beth Rodden

Beth Rodden is bonafide legend of the climbing world, with a string of historic ascents to her name. Her trad journey began in earnest with a 13-pitch climb of Bravo les Filles alongside Lynn Hill, Nancy Feagin and Kath Pyke in Madagascar. She formed a formidable climbing partnership with Tommy Caldwell – they were even married between 2003 and 2009 – claiming the first free ascent of Lurking Fear (5.10) together on El Capitan in 2000. That same year, she endured the trauma of being kidnapped, alongside Caldwell, John Dickey and Jason “Singer” Smith by armed fundamentalists while on a climbing trip to Kyrgyzstan.

Rodden and Caldwell followed Lurking Fear up with the third and fourth free ascent of The Nose (5.14a) in 2005, emulating Lynn Hill’s famous 1994 climb. However, perhaps her crowning glory came in 2008, when she redpointed Meltdown (5.14c or d), a 22-meter vertical seam in Yosemite, thought to be the hardest trad route ever sent by a woman. The line was unrepeated for 10 years before fellow American Carlo Traversi managed the climb. He ended his tribute to Rodden’s achievement with just one word: ‘respect’.

Jacopo Larcher

Like legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, Jacopo Larcher hails from South Tyrol, a region characterized by the spectacular mountains of the Dolomites. He started climbing at the age of 10 and soon developed a talent that would see him compete at a national level in both boulder and lead specialities. Victory in the 2010 Italian Championships saw him move away from competition climbing and towards trad, multi-pitch, ice and expeditions.

He's perhaps most famous for his ungraded climb on Tribe in Cadarese, Italy in 2019. He first set eyes on the route in 2013 but the monstrous line took him over 50 sessions to finally conquer. Larcher was unwilling to grade the route, having broken its challenges down to a point where his appreciation of the difficulty had become warped. Instead, the great Adam Ondra weighed in, saying that it was ‘no doubt, the hardest single-pitch trad route in the world’ – it’s thought to be a possible 9a+ (5:15a). He’s also sent Yosemite’s Meltdown (5.14c or d), first climbed by Beth Rodden in 2008, as well as Rhapsody (5.14c), Dave Macleod’s Scottish masterpiece.

Dave Macleod

Dave MacLeod is a staggeringly bold Scottish rock climber who, among other things, has one of the world’s toughest free solo sends to his name, Darwin Dixit (8b+, 5.14a) in Margalef, Spain in 2008. He’s a decorated winter climber and boulderer too, but he’s perhaps best known for his trad prowess.

His magnum opus may very well be Rhapsody, an E11 (5:14c) climb on Scotland’s Dumbarton Crag in 2006. At the time, it was thought to be the hardest trad route in the world. He may have eclipsed this achievement with his 2008 send of Echo Wall, a monstrous 70-meter route on Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. He declined to grade the climb, though fellow elite cragsman James Pearson suggested a hard E11 (5:14c) when he claimed the first repeat in 2024.

Hazel Findlay

North Wales based Hazel Findlay’s formative climbing experiences were on the sea cliffs of Pembrokeshire alongside her father. Her passion for trad saw her shun competition climbing, despite being junior national rock climbing champion on several occasions, in favour of grander adventures. She’d go on to achieve the first send of a British E9 in 2011, climbing North Devon’s Once Upon a Time in the South West. In 2013, she chalked off Chicama (E9) on the North Welsh island of Anglesey, a similarly impressive feat.

Great feats in Yosemite and Squamish would follow, including the third ascent of Ron Kauk’s Magic Line (8c+, 5.14c) in 2019, only the second climber to do so while placing gear, after Kauk’s son Lonnie in 2018. She said that it had been ‘so fun to move upwards on and in such a magical place’. She’s free climbed El Cap four times and was the first British woman to do so when she sent Golden Gate in 2011. In Squamish, she claimed the first free ascent of Tainted Love (8b+, 5.13d), a spectacular stem-corner that is accessed from the top of the Chief, in 2018.

In 2022, she joined Alex Honnold on an expedition to climb Greenland’s gigantic 3,750-foot Ingmikortilaq sea cliff, an adventure documented in the 2024 National Geographic series Arctic Ascent.

Adam Ondra

Widely regarded as the best rock climber in the world today, Ondra is, admittedly, primarily known for sport climbing and he features prominently in our greatest sport climbers in history feature. However, his domination of rock climbing disciplines means that leaving him off this list was impossible. This is, after all, a man who has repeated several of the world’s most challenging trad lines.

Born in Brno, Czech Republic in 1993, Ondra began climbing at the age of 6 and by the time he was 8 he was already onsighting grades as tough as 7b+ (5.12c). Since, he’s tackled some of the world’s toughest sport and trad climbs. He made short work of El Cap’s Dawn Wall (5.14d) in 2016, sending it in just 8 days, 11 quicker than Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson’s famous first ascent from the previous year. He also repeated James Pearson’s Bon Voyage (E12, 5.14d) in France, which he admitted ‘could be (physically) the hardest route on trad gear in the world'. It took Ondra three days to puzzle it out.

Tommy Caldwell

Like Adam Ondra, it was difficult to leave Colorado-born Tommy Caldwell off this list, despite the fact that he also appears in our greatest sport climbers in history feature. While his masterpiece, the free ascent of the Dawn Wall (5.14d) on El Cap in 2015 was admittedly a mixed trad climb, his achievements across the board warrant his inclusion here.

These include various other free ascents in Yosemite and a staggering traverse of the Fitz Roy massif, one of the world’s most beautiful mountains, in Patagonia alongside Alex Honnold in 2014, for which he earned the prestigious Piolet d’Or prize. He was married to Beth Rodden between 2003 and 2009 and the pair had earlier suffered an ordeal when taken hostage during a climbing trip in Kyrgyzstan in 2000. His climbing career is even more remarkable when you consider that he lost his left index finger in a tablesaw accident in 2001.

James Pearson

In 2023, British climber James Pearson sent Bon Voyage in Annot, France. It was his hardest climb to date and he suspected that it was something very special indeed. However, he hesitated to give the climb a grade. This was because, in 2008, he attracted criticism for claiming the world’s first E12 route on The Walk of Life, a sheer and mostly unprotected slab on England’s North Devon coastline. In the years that followed, some of the world’s best cragsmen tested themselves against some of Pearson’s previous climbs and several of his routes were downgraded. In the most brutal case, Dave MacLeod sent The Walk of Life and suggested a radical downgrade from E12 to E9.

Pearson exiled himself to Europe to rebuild his confidence and his reputation. In recent years, he’s risen like a Phoenix, achieving a repeat ascent of MacLeod’s Rhapsody (E11, 5:14c) in 2014 and, in 2020, putting up a second ascent of Jacopo Larcher’s Tribe – a possible 9a+ (5:15a).

And so, we come back to Bon Voyage, which has since been attempted by Larcher and Ondra, as well as other leading climbers Steve McClure, Sébastien Berthe, and Ignacio Mulero. Only Ondra has succeeded in sending the line and Pearson has been prompted to once again stick his neck on the line and proclaim a world’s first E12. Whatever the grade, it’s clear that Pearson is now right on top of his game.

Tragedy has struck late into the perilous K2 climbing season, after a Chinese climber was hit by falling rocks and killed while descending the world's second-tallest mountain.

China's Jing Guan was descending the mountain on Tuesday, August 12, when loose rock tumbled down the Abruzzi Spur route and struck and killed the climber. Guan was one of 40 climbers from an Imagine Nepal expedition to summit the mountain in challenging conditions on Monday, along with three other climbing teams.

Multiple other expeditions were abandoned before reaching the summit due to the perilous conditions and high likelihood of rockfalls.

K2, which rises 28,251 ft (8,611m) from the Karokoram mountain range, is second only to Mount Everest in height, and has endured an unexpectedly dry winter. Dry conditions on the mountain have been extremely dangerous for climbers, prompting loose underfoot terrain and multiple rockfall incidents.

Nicknamed the 'Savage Mountain', K2 has a terrifying reputation for climbing deaths. In 2021, mortality rates on the mountain were as high as 25%, but that number dropped drastically to just 13% in 2024.

K2 isn't the only mountain to contend with rockfall in recent weeks. Earlier this month, it caused the summit of Cima Falkner in the Italian Alps to open "like a flower," and send rocks tumbling down the mountain, while in the Dolomites, a British hiker was fined more than $16,000 after calling for rescue from a trail closed by rockfall.

As the planet warms, mountains around the globe are more likely to experience permafrost degradation, when usually frozen ground thaws, loosening rocks on the mountain, according to the Scientific Committee of the Italian Alpine Club which told La Repubblica: "Landslides are on the rise, and the main cause is the climate crisis. There’s no doubt about it.

"Mountains, by definition, are destined to collapse, they won’t remain as we know them forever. What’s different now is that we’re seeing a clear acceleration of these processes, driven by heat and extreme weather events intensified by the climate crisis," it continued.

It's difficult to link single events to climate change, but increased rockfall on K2 appears to be a part of a larger pattern of dry summers and loose rock on the world's tallest mountains.

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The remains of a British scientist who died in Antarctica 66 years ago have been revealed by a melting glacier.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) says Dennis "Tink" Bell fell into a crevasse during a glacier survey at Admiralty Bay on King George Island on July 26, 1959.

His body was never recovered, but this January, a Polish Antarctic expedition discovered human remains in a rocky area at the front of the Ecology Glacier along with over 200 personal items, including the remains of radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed Erguel wristwatch, a Mora knife, and an ebonite pipe stem.

The remains were transported to the Falkland Islands on the BAS Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough and handed to a coroner who brought them to London where they were sent for DNA testing and confirmed to belong to Bell.

Bell's brother David, who now lives in Australia, says he and his sister Valerie are "shocked and amazed" by the discovery, saying efforts to bring Dennis home "have helped us come to terms with the tragic loss of our brilliant brother.”

Tragically, Bell survived the initial fall and was able to secure a rope thrown down by his teammates around his belt. After his belt broke during the rescue attempt, he fell a second time, and crews were unable to get a response from him.

The meteorologist had joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (the predecessor of BAS) to work in Antarctica in 1958. He worked on a small UK base about 75 miles (120k) off the northern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula with a small team of men. Base reports say Bell was "known on base for his humour and larger than life character."

Details of the incident that led to Bell's death are outlined in the book Of Ice and Men by Sir Vivian Fuchs.

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In just a few weeks, the cost of a permit to climb Everest will rise sharply in a bid to reduce congestion on the world’s tallest mountain. Now, the Nepali government has announced plans to make it easier to climb other Himalayan peaks – for those willing to get off the beaten path.

The Nepali government has waived climbing fees for 97 peaks in a bid to encourage mountaineers to visit more remote areas of the country. Most of the thousands of alpinists who head to the country each year are concentrated in the Everest region in northeast and central Nepal. The move by the tourism department aims to get more people to travel to the more remote Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.

The country recently increased the cost of climbing permits from $250 to $350 for a smaller mountain, and from $11,000 to $15,000 to climb Mount Everest. Those changes are due to go into effect on September 1.

The mountains in the plan range from 19,258ft (5,870m) to 23,398ft (7,132m) and will be free to climb for the next two years.

Himal Gautam, director at the Department of Tourism, tells the Kathmandu Post that the initiative aims to improve the economy in those remote provinces.

“Despite their breathtaking beauty, the number of tourists and mountaineers here is very low as access is so difficult. We hope the new provision will help.”

He says that fewer than 70 climbers have traveled to these peaks in the past two years.

The government also recently announced that anyone wishing to climb Everest must first climb another 7,000m peak in Nepal. Now, at least they can choose from Mount Saipal, Api, and Api Wes, all in Sudurpaschim, without incurring an additional permit charge.

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Hiking and mountaineering enthusiasts tend to fall into two camps: those who love the lightweight performance of high-tech modern gear, and the stalwart allies of heavy leather boots and waxed cotton. Now, a new experiment plans to settle the debate between tech and tradition for once and for all.

Two British mountaineering twins known for their feats of endurance in some of the most remote parts of the planet have announced plans to compare modern mountaineering gear with that used by pioneers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine – this time in the Himalayas.

Identical twin brothers Ross and Hugo Turner plan to climb Nepal’s Mera Peak, a mountain in the Sagarmatha Zone, this October. At 21,247ft (6,654m), Mera Peak is Nepal’s highest trekking peak, but isn’t likely to pose the greatest challenge for the 36-year-old duo, who have already rowed the Atlantic and climbed Mount Elbrus. It will, however, give them the opportunity to conduct their latest investigation into how mountaineering equipment has changed in the past century.

It’s been 100 years since George Mallory and Sandy Irvine perished in their attempt to summit Mount Everest, and the twins plan to compare today’s kit with that used by the pioneering alpinists. They’ve performed similar experiments on Elbrus in 2015 and on a 2014 attempt to traverse the polar ice cap of Greenland that was cut short by a knee injury, but this will be the first such venture in the Himalayas.

Like their previous experiments, one twin will wear replica expedition clothing from the 1920s – think original World War 1 army clothing, wool jackets and shirts, and a recreated pair of leather boots by Crockett & Jones, modeled directly on those Mallory wore. The other twin will use modern-day, high-performing gear made by British outdoor brand Montane, such as the super stretchy Tenacity XT Pants, rugged Alpine Mission Waterproof Gloves and ultra reliable Dart Long Sleeve T, plus a few models that are due to land from the brand this fall. Needless to say, this gear will be replete with BOA fastenings, breathable waterproof membranes and PrimaLoft insulation and the comparison will help the pair understand what early climbers had to endure at high altitude, and how far outdoor gear has come.

The Turner twins will be joined by a team of researchers and scientists who will use cutting-edge tracking and biometric analysis to study differences in cognitive performance, stress levels, thermal insulation, dexterity, and other metrics of performance at altitude. And perhaps we’ll finally have a definitive answer as to whether that pricey performance gear is worth the investment?

Watch the official trailer for Climbing Back in Time here:

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It's a busy weekday afternoon in East London. The sounds and smells of a nearby food market flood the street as businessmen dressed to the nines barge past me on their way to the closest tube station.

I slip through the crowds and make my way onto an innocuous side road, where an equally innocuous sign sticks out from a grey building and reads: 'The Altitude Centre'. You'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a travel agent, or walking past without a second thought, but here, among beeping taxis and jam-packed streets, lies a vital port of call for the endurance athletes and high-altitude mountaineers of Britain.

What is the altitude centre?

Self-identifying as the UK's 'number one altitude training specialist' in its promotional material, the Altitude Centre in Aldgate, London, is a popular spot for mountaineers who want to get into shape before they take on the world's toughest climbs. The multi-purpose gym mimics high-altitude conditions and offers scientifically-tailored training sessions designed to get athletes peak-fit before they head up Everest, Kilimanjaro, or any other daunting ascent.

The centre has been used by many high-profile climbers and mountaineers, including record-setting Everest summiteer Kenton Cool, as well as other athletes (such as double Olympic champion triathlete Alistair Brownlee) who want to unlock the benefits of alpine training.

So I can get a real feel for how it works, I've been invited down for a taster, during which the experts at the Altitude Centre will put me through my paces with an intense workout in a tough, reduced-oxygen environment.

To get specific, the workout consists of 45 minutes of hard, interval-style running, with an exuberant instructor barking instructions from the front. It's not dissimilar from the sort of running class you're likely to find in any good gym, but with one major difference: the oxygen levels in the air I'm gulping are lower.

How does it work?

Altitude training is a common tactic for climbers looking to acclimatize to conditions in the mountains, or endurance athletes who want to get an edge over their opponents. It usually consists of cardiovascular or strength training in a chamber or pressurized room that contains less breathable oxygen than the (non-alpine) outside world.

The air at sea level contains 20.9% accessible oxygen, a number that drops dramatically the higher you get. At Everest Base Camp, it falls to around 10.4%. On the summit, of the planet's tallest peak levels are down to a third of the accessible oxygen quotient most people are used to breathing.

Pressurized environments like those at the Altitude Centre use high-tech generators to replace oxygen in the air with nitrogen, which replicates the challenging conditions in the mountains.

Exercising in these conditions forces your kidneys to release a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO), which prompts your body to produce more red blood cells. With more red blood cells, you can transport and utilize more oxygen, which has two main benefits.

Firstly, it means you're better acclimatized for the conditions you can expect to face in the high mountains. Creating more capacity to store and transport oxygen (via the extra red blood cells) prepares your body for the dangerous and demanding conditions experienced at serious altitude by minimizing the weakening effect oxygen depletion can cause, and reducing other risks of altitude sickness, allowing you to climb at full strength.

Climbers often practice simulated altitude training along with other methods, like sleeping in low-oxygen hypoxic tents to prepare themselves before heading up seriously high mountains like Everest. It's important to clarify that altitude training won't fully prepare your body for a high-altitude expedition, and time spent in the mountains, at real altitude, is also essential.

The second benefit of altitude training can be experienced at sea level. Exercising in low-oxygen conditions, whether it's simulated or not, can enhance your aerobic capability, allowing you to run, cycle, or play for longer without getting tired.

The Altitude Centre, although it's built for climbers, caters to all sorts of athletes hoping to reap the rewards of training in low-oxygen. James Barber, the centre's lead performance specialist, is kind enough to offer more information.

"Most of what we do is around high-altitude climbing," says James.

"There are usually 15 to 20 British permits for Everest. We'll usually work with all but one or two of them before they go out. Then, hundreds of people a year come [to train] for Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, and things in South America that are around 5,000 meters (16,404.2ft).

"The majority [of what we do] is around that, and then the rest is around sports performance, so marathon runners, triathletes, and people like that who want to use the altitude for that fitness boost."

The experts at the Altitude Centre often bring their super-smart altitude tech off-site to work with elite athletes who can't get to the centre.

"A huge amount of our client base off-site is with elite performance," explains James. "We've worked with Olympic marathon runners, swimmers, rowers, triathletes - in the London 2012 Olympics, we would've come eighth in the medal table."

James is also kind enough to show me around some of the climbing-specific chambers at the altitude centre. One is filled with treadmills and masks that deliver air with reduced levels of oxygen, so trekkers can simulate the tiresome effects of uphill walking while they acclimatize.

"If we can get people training to walk uphill at altitude, let's get the training to look as much like the event as we possibly can, so they're literally walking uphill at altitude, or box stepping up and down with the mask on," explains James.

"As people acclimatize, we're building the altitude up from the 4,000-meter (13,123.4ft) mark to 6,500 meters (21,325.5ft), and making it very specific with walking boots on and rucksacks – we can put as much as 15 kilos (33lb) in."

During workouts, the experts at the altitude centre monitor athletes' health stats, like their blood oxygen saturation and heart rate, to understand how their bodies react to the training and how quickly they're acclimatizing.

How I got on

Surprising as it may be, I'm not in contention for a medal at the next Olympics, nor am I preparing to climb Mount Everest. So, I'm not shocked to find myself dead on my feet after only a few minutes of my training session.

The generator inside the chamber has reduced the oxygen levels to those found around 15,092ft (4,600m). As the instructor explains, it's akin to running at the summit of Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the European Alps.

I experience all the usual symptoms of a long, hard workout; my legs ache, I'm out of breath, and there's plenty of sweat. The major difference is just how quickly my body tires. I'm used to feeling like this after a tough run, but I'm surprised to look up and see that I've only actually been moving for around 30 minutes, and covered little more than 4 miles (6.4km).

Put simply, I'm shattered, and I feel even worse after the full 45-minute session.

As I've now experienced first hand, running (or doing any exercise) at altitude is far tougher than it is at sea-level. With less oxygen available, your body has to work harder to transport the oxygen it does get to your muscles. This causes your heart rate to quicken, your muscles to tire, and everything to get generally harder.

One session isn't enough to cause any noticeable cardiovascular improvements, but consistent workouts at the same intensity certainly would, as my body gradually acclimatized to low oxygen levels at simulated altitude.

Learn more

Along with altitude training, the centre offers other handy services like acclimatization testing, which predicts how your body will handle conditions in the mountains.

If you'd like to give altitude training a go or learn more about any of the other services, you can check out the Altitude Centre website.

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Kilian Jornet might not have taken home the gold buckle at this year's Western States, but his third-place finish meant he still managed to shave more than an hour and 15 minutes off his last win on the course. The experience seems to have ignited something else in the Spanish ultra runner: a desire to explore the American West.

Jornet announced today that his next project is to link up every 14er – that's a mountain over 14,000ft – in the lower 48 states by foot and bike. The project, titled States of Elevation, will take the 37-year-old across 67 summits in Colorado, California and Washington, and includes such famous mountains as Mount Whitney and Mount Rainier.

Jornet plans to set off in early September, which is towards the end of 14er season for mere mortals, but we've previously seen the mountaineer summit all 177 peaks over 3,000m in the Pyrenees in just eight days in 2023 and climb all 82 4,000m Alpine peaks in just 19 days in 2024, so we know he's not afraid of moving fast. Nor is he a stranger to a pair of crampons, which is a good thing because those NNormal Kjerags probably aren't going to cut it when he hits the snowline.

Jornet plans to start his expedition on Longs Peak in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and though he hasn't stated a timeframe for the attempt, his team says he'll be moving the equivalent of a Tour de France stage (that can be as much as 155 miles / 250k) and a marathon each day to beat winter in the high country.

Jornet, who's also set records on the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc and scaled Everest without supplemental oxygen, says there are two reasons he chose this as his next project.

"What I experienced in the Pyrenees and the Alps motivated me to keep exploring this dimension of long traverses with a strong physical, cognitive, and creative component," says Jornet.

"It’s also about exploring the American West – the vastness of the terrain and the cultures that have lived and continue to live there, as well as a nature that is often wild and incredibly diverse, ranging from alpine areas to dense forests and deserts."

Once again, Jornet plans to share real-time updates across social media and via the NNormal blog.

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The tallest outdoor climbing wall in the UK has officially opened for business.

The massive outdoor lead climbing wall is 59ft (18m) high, which is roughly the length of a cricket pitch, and 114ft (35m) wide. It has over 25 lines to choose from and has already hosted the European Military Climbing Championships 2025.

The opening completes a £7 million development at 270 Climbing Park near the villages of Witcombe and Bentham, between Cheltenham and Gloucester, that now offers lead, top rope, auto belay, and bouldering facilities. Its owners say the project has been in the pipeline for years.

“The day we have waited for years for,” writes 270 Climbing Park in a Facebook post announcing the opening.

The idea for 270 Climbing Park came when The Warehouse Climbing Centre, one of the oldest climbing gyms in the country, realized it had outgrown its venue in Gloucester, but the development has been hit by numerous delays from construction setbacks to Covid.

The new center, which held a soft opening in July for members only and is now fully open to the public, boasts outside speed walls, and more than 70 indoor routes with walls up to 55ft (17m) tall and a 26ft (8m) overhang where you can practice your heel hooks. There's also an auto belay balcony wall with 20 lines and an IFSC Competition Standard Bouldering Wall.

“Pictures don’t do things justice regarding the scale of the place so we do advise booking if you’re at all curious,” write the owners.

If you're new to climbing or coming back after a long break, check our guides to rock climbing for beginners and how to fit climbing shoes before you go.

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When the UTMB finals starting list was revealed last week, we were thrilled to see how much trail running talent is going to be lining up in Chamonix in just a few weeks' time, but a little surprised to see Fuzhao Xiang on the 100k CCC list instead of the 100 miler – turns out she's got loftier goals in mind this year.

The Chinese trail running star recently placed a very admirable second at this year's Western States, marking her second consecutive silver buckle at the California race. Her 2024 time of 16:20:03 was the third-fastest female finish in history. She placed fourth at the 2023 UTMB race around Mont Blanc, but DNF'd last year, so we were hoping to see her come back for some redemption.

Over the weekend, however, Xiang revealed she's currently switched out her trail running shoes (the Hoka Rocket X Trail shoes if we're being exact) for crampons as the 34-year-old posted a video of herself on the summit of Muztagh Ata, a 7,000m peak in China.

Standing at 24,757ft (7,546m), Muztagh Ata is located at the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and Xiang says it took her just over 13 hours to reach the summit, where she encountered 43mph (70km per hour) winds.

"The original plan was a no-oxygen speed ascent, but in the final 100 meters I chose to breathe supplemental oxygen in response to how my body and the weather felt. It was both a fresh challenge and a brand-new beginning," says Xiang.

Though for experienced mountaineers, the mountain is considered one of the easier 7,000m peaks to climb, Xiang reveals that for her, it's just a training run, really: "Next peak: Mount Everest—see you there."

We don't yet have any details on when Xiang plans to summit the world's highest mountain, but we'll be cheering her on during this next chapter.

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A new sport climbing competition, that will pit the world's top climbing nations against each other, will kick off this fall. The IFSC, sport climbing's governing body, has announced the creation of its 'Nations Grand Finale' competition, which will be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from October 23 to 26.

Aiming to combine "innovation, competition and international rivalry", the competition will consist of teams from the top-six-ranked climbing nations, who will face off in new boulder and lead climbing formats.

The current top six nations are Japan, France, Slovenia, Austria, the USA, and Great Britain. Each will nominate two male and two female climbers to compete in Fukuoka, and can bring one reserve climber per gender.

Details about the competition are sparse, although the IFSC has confirmed that a key element will be the "active involvement" of national team coaches, who will "work closely with athletes to develop tactical approaches to the new formats".

The IFSC has also confirmed that Fukuoka will host a new Para Climbing Masters competition in parallel with the Nations Grand Finale, which will include climbers from the eight different sport classes announced for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

The IFSC hasn't shared much information about the new para climbing competition, but you can check out our introductory guide for more on para climbing.

The latest competition is scheduled to take place after a busy season, when the world's best sport climbers would usually be putting their feet up.

The final round of the IFSC climbing World Cup ends in mid-September, and the large-scale climbing World Championships conclude at the end of the month. Professional sport climbers would then usually enjoy a lengthy break until the next World Cup begins in April. Regional competitions are usually held during this time, but not worldwide events.

Climbers have already complained about the strain of constant competition, and some, like double Olympic champion Janja Garnbret, have taken time away from the sport to rest and recover.

What is the IFSC?

The International Federation of Sport Climbing, or IFSC, is the governing body responsible for competition climbing events worldwide.

It holds professional climbing events, including the climbing World Cup and para climbing World Cup competitions, which pit the world's best lead climbers, speed climbers, and boulderers against each other in frequent rounds throughout the year.

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Everest might be the world’s tallest mountain but talk to any mountaineer who has climbed both, and it’ll be K2, the second highest peak on the planet, that makes them go misty-eyed. This staggering pyramid of rock and ice, the loftiest point in Pakistan’s Karakorum, is undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful mountains, arguably its greatest and, statistically, its most deadly.

Nicknamed the Savage Mountain, K2 has a dark reputation and it’s objectively more dangerous than Everest. While it poses similar problems in terms of avalanche risk and the complications associated with high altitude, the main routes to K2’s summit are extra technical, steeper and more fraught with unavoidable hazards. Among these are massive overhanging seracs, primed to shear off the mountain at any given moment, obliterating all in their path.

For many years, the summit-to-death ratio on the mountain was in the region of 4:1. For every four people that stood on the top, one would perish. With improving equipment and knowledge of K2’s dangers, this deadly ratio has eased in recent years, to something like 8:1. Nevertheless, the higher flanks of K2 remain one of the world’s most dangerous places.

The events of the 2008 disaster were dark even by K2’s standards. A deadly combination of factors led to the deaths of 11 international mountaineers during the first two days of August. So, what exactly happened during the 2008 K2 disaster?

We asked one of our mountaineering experts to piece together what's been reported about the events surrounding the tragedy. It’s worth bearing in mind that there are many contradictory reports of what exactly occurred, and a 100% accurate picture of the events may never been realized.

The Bottleneck

To understand the events of the 2008 K2 disaster, an appreciation of the natural architecture high on the mountain is required, as well as the tactics being used by those trying to climb it. The 24 mountaineers who made a serious bid to climb to the summit on August 1 2008, were ascending the standard route up the Abruzzi Spur.

This is the 'easiest' way to K2’s summit, and it was the route used during the first ascent of the peak in 1954 by an Italian team led by the great Ardito Desio. Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni achieved the summit but it was the role of the young Walter Bonatti and the subsequent controversy that would live long in mountaineering folklore. But that’s a different story…

The most dangerous part of the Abruzzi Spur route is the Bottleneck, a steep, narrow couloir situated at around 8,200 meters, 400 meters below the summit and well into the so-called death zone. Up here, the amount of available oxygen is scarce and the human body can’t survive for long. Judgement is impaired, upward progress becomes physically challenging and the odds of developing acute mountain sickness increase.

However, altitude isn’t the main hazard associated with the Bottleneck. This high section of the mountain, which climbers are funnelled into whether they like it or not, sits below a serac. A serac is an overhanging block of glacial ice, suspended above the slopes. Serac collapse is one of the ways that an avalanche can be triggered, devastating everything below. Known as the Great Serac, the icy cliff above the Bottleneck on K2 is gigantic.

Just like the much-dissected and publicized 1996 Everest disaster, there were various international teams all vying to reach the summit on K2 in August 2008. They were reliant on fixed ropes for speedy and, therefore, safe progress up this relentlessly steep part of the route. The less time you spend in objectively dangerous parts of a route, the better. The use of fixed ropes is commonplace on these kinds of siege-style mountaineering expeditions, as opposed to the alpinist approach of smaller teams, who rely more on self-sufficiency and minimal kit.

Meet the expert

Who attempted to climb K2 on August 1 2008?

According to Graham Bowley’s classic No Way Down, a book that takes a detailed look at the disaster, there were 24 climbers that made a serious bid to summit K2 on August 1, 2008. The table below lists the individuals, as well as the expedition team they were a part of. The fatalities are indicated by those in bold.

July 31 – all is not well

Adverse weather conditions throughout the main season (June and July) meant there were several teams suitably acclimatized to the altitude and chomping at the bit to attempt K2’s summit. Finally, a weather window had arrived and plans were made to fix ropes through the Bottleneck and the section known as the Traverse that followed up towards the summit. An Advance Team would set out early from Camp IV, the final camp, to achieve this. The team included nominated leader Shaheen Baig, a Pakistani who’d claimed the summit of K2 in 2004 and was climbing with the Serbian team, members from the South Korean Flying Jump expedition, two Pakistani high-altitude porters (HAPs), Pemba Gyalje from the Norit Dutch expedition and Karim Meherban, a Pakistani on the French-led independent expedition.

However, the effects of high altitude at Camp IV compromised one of the HAPs and Baig. Things began to unravel. The HAP started heading down, having been coughing up blood, taking a good deal of sorely needed equipment and rope with him. Then, Baig, feeling unwell, opted to remain in his tent. The Advance Team set off, short of equipment and without their experienced leader.

August 1 – delays, tragedy, then catastrophe

In the early morning, the teams made their way from Camp IV up towards the Bottleneck, where a traffic jam ensued. Matters got worse when the Advance Team ran out of ropes to fix while still in the couloir. There was confusion among the climbers below, who discovered fixed ropes much lower than expected. Members of the Advance Team asked those coming up to pull up the ropes towards the bottom, to add to the fixed ropes above. With time ticking on and patience wearing thin, several climbers decided enough is enough and decide to turn back.

Serbian climber Dren Mandic was one of those who opted to continue. He unclipped from the rope to assist the Norwegian Cecile Skog in bringing new rope up to the Advance Team when, all of a sudden, he lost his footing and tumbled down the Bottleneck, falling over 100 meters to his death.

A team set out to recover the body, comprising fellow Serbs Predrag Zagorac and Iso Planić, as well as their HAP Mohammed Hussein and Swedish climber Fredrick Sträng, who’d seen the fall from Camp IV. Surprisingly, they were also joined by Jehan Baig, a HAP from the French team, who Sträng later said seemed oddly incoherent. While recovering the body, Baig began behaving erratically, before falling and sliding down the mountain. The team watched in horror as Baig approached the abyss, seemingly unable to arrest himself with his ice axe. He disappeared over a lip and was never seen alive again.

The confusion around fixed ropes, the traffic jam at the bottleneck and the two fatalities had all conspired to make progress agonizingly slow. By 2pm, most of the climbers had made it to the Traverse beneath the summit. Some are feeling the effects of exhaustion and altitude but press on, undoubtedly suffering from classic cases of summit fever. One climber who made the seemingly wise decision to stop was Norwegian Rolf Bae. He told his wife he’d wait, while she continued towards the top.

At around 3:30pm, Basque alpinist Alberto Zerain was the first to reach the summit and he went on to make a safe return through the Bottleneck. Many of the other 17 who’d made it to the summit that day did so much later, some not until 8:00pm. Most then needed to negotiate the Bottleneck in the dark, a challenging proposition even before what was about to occur.

At around 8:30pm, a huge chunk of ice dislodged from the Great Serac. Plummeting through the thin air it was funnelled, disastrously, through the Bottleneck, leaving the fixed ropes in tatters. The resulting avalanche also swept Rolf Bae to his death. He’d been descending the traverse alongside his wife, Cecile Skog, and fellow Norwegian Lars Flato Nessa. Battling their grief, Skog and Nessa managed to continue their descent, fixing a new emergency rope in the Bottleneck.

The climbers above the Bottleneck faced an epic battle in the death zone, cut off from the relative safety of Camp IV, without the ropes or protective equipment to descend the Bottleneck safely and without knowledge of the new emergency rope. They’d have to free solo the downclimb, a hugely demanding ask in their oxygen-starved, exhausted states. Italian Marco Confortola and Irishman Gerard 'Ger' McDonnell decided to attempt an impromptu bivouac, while others opted to try descending the Bottleneck in the dark, unprotected. Both scenarios were incredibly dangerous.

August 2 – a grim fight for survival

With teams scattered and the safety net of fixed ropes gone, the upper reaches of K2 were in disarray. Sherpas Chhiring Dorje, Pemba Gyalje and 'Little' Passang Lama made a bold descent of the Traverse and continued down the Bottleneck, back to Camp IV, where they met American Eric Meyer and Swede Fredrik Sträng, both hugely concerned about the developing situation above the Bottleneck. Meanwhile, two more sherpas, Chhiring Bhote and 'Big' Pasang Bhote set out from Camp IV to search for missing climbers, though they turned back around the Bottleneck, having rescued the stricken Go-Mi Sun.

Cas van de Gevel, from the Dutch expedition, was the last person to see Hugues d’Aubarède alive. The leader of the French-led independent expedition fell past the Dutchman and down through the Bottleneck, having rappelled off the end of his rope. K2 had claimed its fourth victim, and there were more to come.

At around 3am, members of the Korean team – Hwang Dong-jin, Park, Keyung-hyo, Kim Hyo-gyeong and Jumik Bhote – attempted to descend the traverse, only for a fall to result in their ropes becoming tangled. With one member lost over the edge of a precipice and the others trapped by the ropes, they faced a desperate situation.

Above the Koreans, Wilco van Rooijen, Marco Confortola and Gerald McDonnell wearily continued their descent, having endured an impromptu bivouac high on the mountain. At around 7am, and suffering symptoms of snow blindness, van Rooijen makes a hasty retreat, while Confortola and McDonnell go to the aid of the Koreans, who by this point were barely alive, and Jumik Bhote, who was succumbing to frostbite.

Accounts of what occurred between Confortola and McDonnell vary, with Confortola recounting that McDonnell began to move back up the mountain and out of sight in an altitude-induced delirium. After doing all he could for the stricken climbers, Confortola continued his descent. Following the ordeal, Van Rooijen would assert that McDonnell had climbed back up the mountain to establish a more solid anchor from which to assist the Koreans and Bhote, a heroic act if true. It's thought that McDonnell may have spent hours trying attempting to rescue the climbers.

During all of this, Karim Meherban, a HAP from the French-led expedition was unaccounted for, and what fate befell him remains a mystery. The most likely theory is that he spent the night high in the death zone, before becoming delirious with altitude and listlessly heading for the Great Serac in an attempt to get down. It’s thought he probably suffered a fall, or may have even been caught in an additional avalanche. His body was never found.

Chhiring Bhote and 'Big' Pasang Bhote set out again from Camp IV to attempt further rescues and were followed sometime after by Pemba Gyalje, who'd been alerted to the presence of Confortola in the Bottleneck, struggling badly. 'Big' Pasang Bhote moved further up and encountered Jumik Bhote and, according to some, two of the Korean team members, free from the ropes that had entangled them. (Some sources suggest the Korean’s had already died before this point.)

In a series of tragic twists, more serac collapses led to further avalanches. The first is believed to have killed McDonnell. 'Big' Pasang Bhote witnessed a climber in a red-and-black down suit swept away by the avalanche and he reported this over the radio to Pemba Gyalje. The climber matched McDonnell's description.

Then, shortly after this, the serac collapsed again, suddenly crashing down the mountain. 'Big' Pasang Bhote, Jumik Bhote, and the Koreans were swept to their deaths.

August 3 – rescues continue

Remarkably, the almost snow blind van Rooijen had managed to descend a whole new route, unintentionally bypassing Camp IV. He was rescued by Pemba Gyalje and Cas van de Gevel on or near K2’s Česen route in the early morning. By 10pm, the three men made it back to base camp.

The fatalities

There were 11 fatalities, making the 2008 disaster the worst in K2’s history. The names of those who died, their nationalities, where their deaths occurred and what caused them are listed in the table below.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist has died after she was struck by falling rocks while climbing in Pakistan.

Laura Dahlmeier, 31, had ascended around 18,700ft (5,699.8m) on Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range when she was struck and fatally wounded by falling rocks on Monday, July 28.

The German athlete had won seven biathlon world championships and made history as the first woman to claim sprint and pursuit golds in the same games at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Her climbing partner, Marina Eva, quickly issued a distress call, prompting a large-scale rescue effort. Eva was uninjured and able to safely ascend from the mountain the following day, but rescue efforts were hampered by unforgiving weather conditions and low visibility.

On Wednesday, July 30, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government confirmed Dahlmeier's death and said that rescuers hadn't been able to retrieve her body, but a final decision on retrieval lay with her family.

A statement posted to her Instagram said Dahlmeier hadn't wanted anyone to risk their lives to recover her body in the case of an accident.

A separate post reads: "Farewell to a wonderful person! Laura enriched the lives of many, including our own, with her warm and straightforward manner.

"We are deeply grateful, dear Laura, that we were allowed to share our lives with you. Our shared moments and memories give us the strength and courage to continue on our path."

Tributes

Dahlmeier was a beloved figure on the biathlon stage, and her death has been met with an outpouring of grief from the Olympic community.

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry described the incident as "deeply shocking for all of us in the Olympic Movement".

"She will be remembered forever. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time."

Triple Olympic luge champion Felix Loch, who represented Germany alongside Dahlmeier, offered a heartfelt tribute on his Instagram account.

It reads: "Laura, you are and will remain not only one of the most successful biathletes of all time, but above all a true role model – for us athletes and for the entire winter sports community.

"You were always genuine, modest, warm-hearted, and fully engaged".

The Karakoram mountains

The Karakoram mountain range is a collection of peaks spanning five countries and 29,789 square miles (77,153km²). It falls mainly in the Kashmir region of India, Pakistan, and China, with the northwestern corner extending into Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

The range includes four peaks over 26,000ft (8,000m), and is best known as the home of the world's second-tallest mountain, the monstrous K2. Because of its remote location and treacherous underfoot conditions, K2 is considered to be one of the world's most dangerous mountains, with a death rate of over 20%.

At 20,118ft (6,132m), Laila Peak isn't one of the biggest mountains in the Karakoram region, but it still presents significant dangers due to its remoteness and unpredictable weather conditions.

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• August 22 update: since this article was written, Jim Walmsley has dropped out of the 100-mile race. Find out all the latest updates to the UTMB starting lineup in this article.

Jim Walmsley disappointed us all when he mysteriously disappeared from the Western States starting list this spring (it was later revealed to be due to a knee injury), but he's just redeemed himself by appearing on the list of starters for the UTMB finals in August.

Though the notoriously private runner hasn't commented publicly on his Instagram account yet, he's showing on the newly released list of starters for the men's 100-mile race around Mont Blanc.

Last time Walmsley took on the course was in 2023, when he surprised us all mid-race by picking up the pace and delivering a stunning new 19:37 course record. Can he do it any faster in 2025? After watching him storm the Mesquite Canyon 50k and Chianti Castles 100k in March, we're pretty sure that if anyone can, Walmsley can. Let's hope his knee is better and his Hoka Tecton X 3s are still doing the job.

Who else is running?

Walmsley will be up against a few challengers of note, including this year's Hardrock 100 winner Ludo Pommeret, as well as third-placed Germain Grangier (who also placed third last time Walmsley ran the finals), though Mathieu Blanchard is nowhere to be seen. Also on the starting line in Chamonix will be four-time UTMB winner Francois D’Haene and Jeff Mogavero, who took fourth at this year's Western States.

Seeking redemption will be the UK's Tom Evans who's been unable to complete the race since taking third in 2022 but delivered an impressive victory at this year's Arc of Attrition, Rod Farvard, who just DNFd at Western States (but took second place last year behind Walmsley) and Hayden Hawks who also pulled out of this year's WSER due to injury, but placed third in the race last year.

Perhaps the most notable person missing is last year's champion Vincent Bouillard, the little-known Hoka engineer who took us all by surprise when he sprinted to the finish and seemed quite surprised himself when he got there ahead of the pack. He recently DNFd during his first Western States attempt, but we'd like to see what else he's capable of.

Women's starters

Following on from last week's announcement that Courtney Dauwalter is returning to Chamonix in a bid to regain her title, the bad news is that Katie Schide is not on the starting list, so it looks like we won't be seeing a battle between ultra's two greatest female runners this year after all. But the possibility Dauwalter taking back her crown from Schide (and breaking the 22-hour mark?) is reason enough to tune in.

Dauwalter has never run in the UTMB finals and not won, so obviously she and her Salomon S/Lab Genesis shoes are a strong contender for first place, but there's an extremely healthy-looking women's field of runners hoping to upset Dauwalter's reign. First and foremost is Abby Hall, who's fresh off a Western States 100 win while New Zealand's Ruth Croft is back for another stab having taken second place last year behind Schide.

Canadian trail icon Marianne Hogan is no stranger to the UTMB (or WSER) podium, and she'll be on the course alongside UTMB veteran Katharina Hartmuth and Sweden's Ida Nilsson (who just placed fourth at WSER behind Hogan). Eszther Csillag and Heather Jackson were both defeated by this year's Western States race and are hoping for a better result in Chamonix. Oh, and Zimbabwe's Emily Hawgood can't resist another shot.

We're sorry to see China's Fuzhao Xiang isn't back for another go after an impressive second place at this year's Western States, but she's on the starting list for the 100k CCC race and recently posted a video of herself climbing a 25,000ft peak in China, so she's probably got enough on her plate.

You can view the full list of starters for 2025 here.

How to watch the UTMB finals

The UTMB finals take place over August 25 - 31 with the 100-mile finale starting on Friday, August 29. Once again, we'll be reporting live from the finish line in Chamonix, and you can follow all the action live at live.utmb.world in seven languages – French, English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Italian and Thai – with equal coverage of men's and women's race leaders.

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Scottish outdoor brand Highlander has recently launched a host of new backpack models. There’s the fast-and-light Vega, the versatile Ivar and the expedition-ready Novar. And then the Vulkan: a slightly pricier pack designed to cope with the rigours of winter walking and mountaineering in the often challenging environment of the Scottish Highlands. Highlander also states that it’s 'a versatile, all-season pack', so in theory it should be a good option for year-round adventures.

While the Vulkan is slightly pricier than its cousins, it is still an affordable pack, which is designed to do everything the likes of Osprey’s Mutant and Berghaus’ MTN Guide can, but with a significantly lower price tag. This is central to Highlander’s main mission and has been so ever since it was founded in 1985. The brand states that: ‘enjoying the challenges and beauty of the outdoors should be available to everyone’.

I’ve tested several pieces of Highlander kit over the years and have usually been impressed with the quality, especially given the affordability of most of the gear. The brand backs itself with a 282-year warranty – one year for each of Scotland’s Munros, the country's prominent peaks above 3,000ft (914m).

As such, I was excited to shoulder the Vulkan and head for the hills.

First impressions

Having tested Highlander’s flagship hiking backpack, the Ben Nevis, it was immediately obvious that the Vulkan was a more specialized tool. Giveaways include the ice axe attachment points, the ice axe slot for securing the pick, the daisy chains for attaching gear, the rolltop opening and the additional straps for securing items like rope.

Its bright orange straps and loops make it more visible in the case of an emergency, and there’s a handy integrated whistle on the chest strap too. Then, on the inside of the lid is a brief emergency guide with distress signals and emergency phone numbers for the UK, EU, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the US and Canada. It seems this is a pack that Highlander wants you to take into the high mountains.

Once I’d tensioned all the straps appropriately, the first wear was comfortable and it was clear this was a supportive pack. There’s nothing revolutionary about the harness system – it has the usual padded hip belt, chest strap and zoned padding on the back panel. That there’s no suspended panel nods towards suitability for colder adventures.

A feature set geared for mountaineering

The Vulkan has many features dedicated to mountaineering and climbing. Above the rolltop closure is an adjustable strap for securing a climbing rope, while the ice axe attachment features elasticated toggles and a reinforced slot that securely holds the pick and stops it from poking outwards or shredding the pack. Towards the top, you get one elasticated, adjustable loop for holding the spike flush. Highlander state that the pack is intended for 'lightweight mountaineering'. Indeed, it's clear that it’s designed for one walking axe, rather than twin technical ice tools. Hence, why there’s just the one loop at the top of the pack.

When it comes to helmet storage, there’s space in the large elastic panel on the front of the pack. It stretches just enough house a helmet, though it’s a real squeeze when the pack is full. It’s a decent alternative to the removable helmet holders seen in some winter packs. When not used for helmet storage, this front mesh panel is great for storing items you might want quickly to hand, such as fleece on a changeable day. I often used it to hold the dry bag containing my food, allowing me to access it quickly without having to open the whole pack up.

Unlike on lighter summer packs, there’s no suspended back panel for ventilation here. Instead, there are five strategically placed regions of squishy foam, one providing lumber support, the others higher up the back. Stretched over the top of these is a breathable mesh, while beneath is a back panel with triangular holes. This is Highlander’s Airvent system and it does a decent job of being reasonably airy in summer, without the need for suspension. The gaps between the foam provide at least some degree of airflow.

The harness system is fairly standard, with a chest strap and hip belt. The chest strap features the same position-adjustment slider seen on the Ben Nevis backpack. This enables you to move the chest strap up and down, in order to find the best fit. My worry here is that I’ve broken these kinds of strap before (with both the Ben Nevis pack and the Osprey Hikelite) and they’re nigh on impossible to reattach. So, don’t be too heavy handed.

Other storage

The main compartment is large and straightforward, with an elasticated sleeve for a reservoir (or anything you wanted to keep separate). The rolltop closure protects it from adverse weather better than a drawcord or zippered closure. It does mean accessing the top takes longer than with most packs, but the main compartment can also be accessed from the side via a reinforced zipper.

This side access is great for quickly grabbing items like a crampon bag or a group shelter – basically things that may be towards the bottom of the pack but that you might want in a hurry. Its 45-liter capacity just about hits the sweet spot for winter, when you’ll be carrying additional items like crampons, a blizzard jacket (or a survival blanket), emergency shelter and extra layers.

The pack is topped by a lid with both an exterior and interior zippered compartment, as well as four loops for attaching gear. The exterior compartment features a little mini-carabiner on a strap for clipping valuables into. Both are large enough to take a topographical map. If you don't need the lid, it can be removed, which is nice.

Being geared towards winter, there are no hydration pockets in the harness system like those seen in running inspired fast hiking packs like Salomon’s Aerotrek 30 or Montane’s Trailblazer. However, there are a couple of side mesh pockets that are well-sized to take water bottles or an insulated flask. Such items can be reached and liberated while hiking, for supping on the go. There’s also the usual hydration bladder system, with a Velcro tab to hold the bladder in place and a portal for the tube. All of this adds to the packs versatility: you can fill it with a bladder and bottles for summer adventures, or take a thermos in one of the side pockets for winter.

The other bits of on-the-go storage the pack provides are the two small, zippered hip belt pockets, ideal for small items like headlamps or snacks. One is elasticated, while the other is a bit more robust, woven from the same ripstop nylon as the main pack.

Hidden at the bottom of the pack is the zippered raincover compartment. I’m not a huge fan of these raincovers, as they make accessing the pack difficult when fitted and have a tendency to blow away in gusty conditions, thus littering the backcountry. However, kudos to Highlander for dealing with at least one of these issues by designing the cover so that it stays permanetly attached to the pack. However, I still think a better alternative is to arrange the contents of the pack into colored dry bags, keeping everything both dry and organized inside.

On the trails

I’ve been testing the Vulkan during the summer months on hikes in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, and I'm looking forward to taking it out in the peaks during the coming winter season too. My hiking adventures have allowed me to assess its suitability as a versatile, all-season pack.

I enjoyed putting the Vulkan to the test on the trails, finding it to be functional and comfortable in the same breath. From a functionality point of view, it did everything required and I appreciated many of the design features, such as the integrated whistle and front and side mesh pockets.

I’m quite a slim chap, at least at the moment anyway. A qualm I’d had about Highlander’s Ben Nevis rucksack was the amount of spare strap that remained once I’d tightened up the hip belt. With the Vulkan, I’m delighted to say that there’s a solution to this problem. Two lengths of material, almost like grab handles, run on top of each of the hip belt pockets. I found that I could take the excess strap and wrap it around this a couple of times to tidy it out of the way. It all held in place while I was on the move and it was easy enough to unravel whenever I needed to take the pack off.

The concern when buying budget outdoor kit is that it may not be as durable as some of the more expensive competition. It's often the quality and strength of the fabrics and the components that you're paying for, after all.

It was a shame to find that one of the compression straps tore away from its stitching after only a few outings with the Vulkan. Time will tell whether the pack will suffer from other such issues but it’s not an ideal start. However, don’t forget the 282-year warranty – I’m sure you’d be within your right to get a replacement if the above happened to you.

All in all, this is a thoughtfully designed pack with features that’ll suit winter walkers, mountaineers and climbers, while also ticking a lot of boxes for general hiking use too. It’s comfortable to carry, gives plenty of storage options and has a number of nice little touches. My main concern is around its durability (having already broken a compression strap) and the fact that there’s no mention of recycled materials.

Also consider

Comparison table

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

Two new faces topped the podium as the Climbing World Cup returned for the penultimate lead climbing round in Madrid, Spain, over the weekend. Women's competition winner Annie Sanders secured an astonishing victory at just 17 years old, while South Korea's Dohyun Lee won his first lead competition in style.

Read on for our roundup of all the action from a brilliant climbing competition.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's lead competition

The 2025 men's lead climbing competition has been a tense affair, with several climbers in contention for the coveted series victory. The penultimate round was no different, as South Korea's Dohyun Lee snatched gold in a tight final bout with Alberto Gines Lopez of Spain.

Following a hard-fought qualification round, the pair were neck and neck throughout the final, but Lee's score of 40+ just edged out his opponent, who finished marginally behind him with 40 points.

Gold in Madrid represents Lee's first-ever World Cup lead climbing victory. The 22-year-old has been threatening to win a round for some time, with some consistent performances in qualification and an impressive second-place finish in the final lead event of 2024.

After his victory, an ecstatic Lee told the IFSC: "This feels unreal, I can't believe it.

"When I finished my climb, I didn't think it was worth a gold medal. I would have expected fourth or fifth."

Last weekend's competition propelled both Lee and Lopez up the lead climbing table and put them in contention for the series victory, although Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku remains the favorite.

Although he finished in fifth in Madrid, Anraku, 18, is the only climber to have won two lead competitions this season. He already won the bouldering series earlier in the season and will be eager to wrap up the lead title when the competition returns in September.

Women's lead competition

American teenager Annie Sanders stole the spotlight in the women's competition with a commanding first lead climbing victory. The 17-year-old climbed with skill and composure well beyond her years in the qualifying round before she secured gold with a dominant display in the final.

Sanders was within touching distance of her first lead gold in the previous round, but slipped at the crucial moment and had to settle for second. There would be no such errors in Madrid, as she dominated the final route ahead of Italy's Laura Rogora, who won silver.

Over the moon after her victory, Sanders told the IFSC, "I'm honestly still in shock right now.

"I didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but after the first Lead World Cup in China, I knew I was capable of doing this, and I'm glad it finally happened".

Sanders marked herself as one to watch at the first lead climbing event of the season with a bronze medal in Wujiang, China. Victory over the weekend cements her place as one of sport climbing's brightest young talents.

The women's lead climbing table is currently led by South Korea's Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice of Great Britain. They've each won two gold medals and been in and around the podium during the other events.

Both climbers had the chance to secure the series victory in Madrid, but neither managed to make the podium. Sanders' unlikely win means that the competition will be decided at the final round, in Koper, Slovenia, in September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The world's best sport climbers will now take a month-long break before they return to the wall for the decisive lead climbing event in Koper, Slovenia. The final round will decide the series winners for the 2025 competition and begins on September 5.

Stick with Advnture for our preview of the event and a roundup of all the action from Koper.

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The world's best climbers have their eyes on the leaderboard as a thrilling climbing World Cup competition hurtles towards its conclusion. This week, the crème de la crème of lead climbers are limbering up to take on the wall in Madrid, Spain, for the penultimate World Cup round.

The men's and women's qualification rounds begin tomorrow, July 18, before the finals take place on Saturday, July 19.

There's lots of action to look forward to, as a superstar climbers like Sorato Anraku, Erin McNeice, and Chaehyun Seo look to battle it out in pursuit of lead climbing gold.

Read on for our preview of the 12th round of this season's climbing World Cup, which includes the schedule, information on how to watch the competition, and who to look out for on the wall.

Ones to watch

Men's lead climbing

Spectators in Madrid will have their eyes firmly fixed on one man in the men's lead competition, as Japan's Sorato Anraku looks to make history by winning a second series victory in as many competitions.

Early this year, the 18-year-old claimed his crown as the world's best male boulderer by winning three of the six bouldering rounds. Gold in Madrid would represent Anraku's third lead climbing win of the season and give him a near-unassailable lead atop the competition table.

Series wins in two out of the three World Cup climbing events would be a historic achievement and cement the teenager's spot as the world's best multi-discipline sport climber.

Despite his stellar form, Anraku can't celebrate too early, as he'll have to get through countrymen Satone Yoshida and Neo Suzuki, and a fired-up Toby Roberts of Great Britain.

Yoshida and Suzuki have won this year's other two lead climbing rounds and closely trail Anraku on the leaderboard, while Olympic champion Roberts has a point to prove following a sluggish start to the competition. Victory for any of the three would dent Anraku's title hopes and keep the competition alive before the final round in September.

Women's lead climbing

This year's women's lead climbing competition has turned into something of a shootout between two otherwise unproven climbers who're gunning for the coveted series gold.

We're four rounds in, and there's little to separate South Korea's Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice of Great Britain. They've each won two gold medals and been in and around the podium during the other events.

In an extraordinary opening round, the pair shared gold after both recorded the same scores in the final, semi-final, and qualification rounds. McNeice then sped ahead with a convincing win in the next round, before Seo evened up the tally with a close run victory in last week's World Cup in Chamonix, France.

The rivalry has come as something of a surprise to climbing fanatics, as neither athlete was fancied for the series gold before the competition. Prior to the opening round, Seo hadn't won a World Cup round for over four years, while McNeice's only real success came in the form of Olympic bronze at last summer's Paris games.

The women's bouldering competition looks a little different this year due to the absence of two of the world's best all-around climbers. Natalia Grossman of the USA is recovering from two long-term knee injuries, while two-time Olympic champion Janja Garnbret has missed all but one round as she takes time to rest.

Garnbret returned from her lengthy absence in the third round of this year's lead climbing competition, where she claimed a decisive victory to remind the world of why she's won two Olympic golds and a whopping 47 IFSC World Cup events.

Despite her dominance, Garnbret has opted to continue her break, opening to competition to either Seo or McNeice to claim a first World Cup series win.

IFSC World Cup Schedule

Lead qualification

• 11.30pm PT (July 17) / 2.30am EST (July 18) / 9.30am BST (July 18) Men's and women's qualification

Lead finals

• 11.30am PT (July 18) / 2.30pm EST (July 19) / 9.30pm BST (July 18) Men's and women's semi-finals
• 11.30am PT (July 19) / 2.30pm EST (July 20) / 9.30pm BST (July 19) Men's final
• 12.30pm PT (July 19) / 3.30pm EST (July 20) / 10.30pm BST (July 19) Women's final

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place over 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

How to watch the IFSC World Cup

There are loads of ways to watch the upcoming World Cup competition, with plenty of broadcasters and streaming services providing coverage.

Check out how you can watch where you are with our expert guide.

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First impressions

The acronym in Haglöfs L.I.M. collection stands for Less is More, and the top-end Swedish outdoor brand have taken this concept to the nth degree with the ZT II Air midlayer, which literally seems to feature as much air as it does tangible product. I was genuinely quite surprised when I first got my hands on this top, which has what can only be described as a highly porous design – a bit like, well, a teabag. It certainly doesn’t look like your standard fleece jacket – not least because it’s not made from fleece. Instead this midlayer is constructed with Polartec Power Dry, a (mostly) synthetic material, and it has an extremely open weave, so you see right through it – and the wind cuts right through it too.

Looking at it, and contemplating the price tag, I honestly wondered whether someone was pranking me. It turns out they weren’t. It put me in mind of some of the very expensive barefoot shoes out there (and Polo mints), where it feels like you’re being charged for the bits that aren’t there. Convincing people to shell out serious amounts of money for kit that is extremely minimalist is a tough ask – you need to make a very compelling case about what the apparel brings to the party in terms of performance, and not reply purely on the fact that it's light.

In this spirit, and for the sake of fairness, it’s important to remember that this midlayer has been designed to work not as a stand-alone top for people ambling around fields and forests, but as part of a highly a technical and very lightweight layering system intended for use primarily by alpinists, climbers and high-alpine explorers, clinging to the sides of mountains.

I do understand this, and while it’s quite tempting to conclude that this midlayer is actually just the inner of a shell jacket, masquerading as a separate piece of apparel, there is a real benefit from being able to remove a layer when you’re overheating during a dynamic activity like climbing. Again, though, making a something this expensive and then using the fact it can be taken off easily as a selling point does seem quite a reach.

But, keeping an open mind, I set off to test the Haglöfs L.I.M. ZT II Air Mid in the mountains to see whether its performance could justify its price tag.

Materials

Available for men and women, the L.I.M. ZT II Air Mid top is made from Polartec Power Dry fabric, with a bi-component knit. The largest material component of the garment is 100% recycled polyester (156g/m2), with some lyocell and elastane thrown in to provide some essential dynamic stretch for when you're reaching for a hold. Interesting, considering it’s clearly not waterproof, the fabric has been treated with a PFAS (PFC)-free durable water repellent (DWR), and it’s all bluesign approved.

The result is a garment that boasts excellent moisture-wicking properties. You only need to look at it to see how lightweight and breathable it is, but it's also hydrophobic (thanks to the DWR) and quick drying. It is comfortable when worn next to the skin, although this midlayer has been design to be worn over the top of the L.I.M. ZT base layer (or indeed any other base layer), and beneath a waterproof shell jacket such as the L.I.M. ZT II GTX.

Design

This top is designed to let your body breathe when you’re engaged in dynamic activities such as hill hiking, rock climbing, scrambling, mountaineering and cross-country skiing (when you will work up a sweat even when it’s wet and chilly outside), while being extremely lightweight to carry, either on your person or in a backpack.

However, there is more to it than just this. It’s also designed to help keep you thermally protected, by trapping air in the gaps between the weave beneath your shell layer – air that your body will then warm up.

Aside from the unusual open-weave construction, the most prominent part of the design is the inclusion of two oversize front pouches. These can accommodate all kinds of stuff (from maps and nutrition through to your phone), but Haglöfs have specifically made them with water bottles – or more likely running-style flasks – in mind, and have included a couple of elasticated loops to help secure these in place. Somewhat surprisingly (given the apparel-industry’s tendency to remove pockets from women’s clothing), both the men’s and women’s version of the ZT II Air Mid feature these pouches.

The top features a full-length zip, an easy-to-locate zip-pull, elasticated cuffs (complete with thumb loops) and a tall neck with a zip garage to prevent users snagging skin/beard. Other useful flourishes include a hang-loop on the rear and a couple of small reflective elements. It comes with its own little stuff pouch.

On the trails and in the hills and peaks

I have been testing the ZT II Air Mid on Dartmoor, in the Mendip Hills and amid the peaks of the Wicklow Mountains, which, although not particularly high, are certainly prone to the kind of very changeable weather that makes careful layering so crucial.

Initially, during a spell of warm weather, I was wearing it over the top of a standard technical T in the evenings, when the temperatures dropped a little, and it worked well as a light top, until a chilly northerly breeze joined the party, and then I found the highly porous open-weave design a problem, and the wind was cutting right through the top and cooling me down too much. Subsequently, when venturing out of the valleys and into the peaks, I started wearing it in conjunction with the Haglöfs L.I.M. ZT base layer and the new L.I.M. ZT GTX jacket, and began to appreciate its properties a lot more.

It’s pretty obvious, from the oversize gaps in the weave, that the ZT II Air Mid will let your body breathe well, but it’s not until you are actively engaged in a energetic activity like climbing that you properly appreciate how much more comfortable this feels in comparison to the performance of more traditional tops.

When I was on the higher slopes of the Wicklow Mountains – scaling the steep point of Great Sugarloaf and the lofty summit of Lugnaquilla – conditions were wet enough to require layers, but sufficiently warm that I needed plenty of ventilation to avoid getting drenched from the inside.

The Polartec Power Dry fabric, which is hydrophobic (so it soaks up very little water) and wicks moisture away from your body, combined with the open-weave design of the ZT II Air Mid worked perfectly in these conditions. Because it doesn’t get properly wet it stays lightweight, and still kept me warm when the northerly wind started whipping across the top of Lugnaquilla and I was entirely enveloped in the embrace of a cold cloud.

These garments have been designed for use on much taller mountains, and in more extreme conditions than I was in, however, and while I was comfortable in summer at 3,000ft (900m), I’d definitely be packing more layers if I was venturing much higher in colder weather – because, while the breathability is beautiful during the hard work of the climb, you do cool down very quickly once you stop moving.

One element I found fascinating on this top was the chest pouches. These are not the most aesthetically pleasing features – they look a bit weird even when empty, and when you start putting things in them they inevitably sag. But, quite rightly, this garment prioritizes function over fashion, and these large, easy access pockets allow you to keep things very close to hand and simple to find while you are climbing. This might be your phone, some food or a hydration flask.

With the latter purpose in mind, Haglöfs’ designers have included a couple of little elasticated loops to keep flasks nozzle-end up, making them easier to sip from and less likely to bounce around and leak. This feels a bit odd at first, but it’s not dramatically different to the way you carry water in a race vest during long runs. If you’re carrying daypack for your peak push, you might prefer to use a hydration bladder, but keeping water closer to your body does mean it’s less likely to freeze during trips to higher peaks (something that has happened to me when I ventured above 19,000ft (5,900m), leading to me getting very thirsty.

Final thoughts

Despite being initially put off by the sky high price of this technical top, and the fact that it can typically only be used in conjunction with additional garments (either from Haglöfs’ pricey L.I.M. ZT range, or other base and shell layers), I warmed to the ZT II Air Mid during the testing process. It is a very tailored piece of kit designed for use in quite specific circumstances, but in those scenarios – which are more wide ranging than I initially appreciated, ranging from true alpine adventures to more modest hill-hiking outings in highly changeable conditions – it’s very good.

It's comfortable to wear, and boasts several genuinely innovative features. As mentioned, the ZT II Air Mid also comes with its own stuff sack, which is all well and good, but most people would probably prefer to see a lower price tag.

Also consider

Comparison Table

Back in 2024, Luke Tarrant from Bedford in the UK had taken a break from working as an investment banker to go on a trip of a lifetime, riding a motorbike through the Americas. However, he was left fighting for his life when, in May, he was involved in a crash in Columbia.

He had to have his leg amputated, and then contracted sepsis. Luckily he survived, and today is determined not to let his disability stand in his way. Just over one year on from the crash, Luke is now hoping to summit a 16,400ft (5,000m) never-before-been-climbed mountain in Kyrgyzstan.

He will be taking part in the remote expedition with adaptive mountaineer Ed Jackson. Ed is a former professional rugby union player and lifelong outdoor enthusiast. In 2017, when he was 28, he fractured multiple vertebrae in his spine and doctors warned him that he may never walk again.

Since then, Ed has defied the experts and returned to the mountains. He uses kit modified by Berghaus to help him climb and started the charity, Millimeters 2 Mountains, which supports individuals to overcome adversity through adventure.

In an Instagram post announcing the expedition, Luke said: "I've done tons of crazy things in my life but this is without doubt the most mental yet.

"[Ed] told me just after my crash that one day we'd climb a mountain together. I thought, 'alright mate, maybe a local hill in five years time'. But no, just half a year after I got out of the wheelchair and started learning to walk again, we're attempting a world first."

The expedition, named First Ascent, will kick off in mid-August and Bergaus says it intends to "rewrite the rules of who gets to explore, and prove that with the right mindset, innovation and support, anything is possible".

The project has these key aims:

• Access: Using customized kit, including gear from the Berghaus Adapts initiative, they hope to drive innovation in the outdoor industry to make mountaineering more inclusive for people with physical impairments.
• Education: The adventurers will share insights and unfiltered stories from the mountain to paint a picture of what it's like living with disability.
• Science: The team will be helping researchers study how disabilities affect individuals in different environments by tracking their biometrics.
• Legacy: Ed and Luke hope that their successful ascent will allow them to name the mountain, making mountaineering history and inspiring future generations.

In an Instagram post revealing how the idea of the expedition came about, Ed says:

"In three weeks I'm heading to Kyrgyzstan to attempt a true first ascent, a 5,000m giant that no human has ever stood on, one of the last unnamed peaks on Earth. Still wild, still completely untouched.

"Luke and I bonded over similar attitudes and a lust for adventure, so six months ago I asked him to come to K with me, but just to base camp. But, plans have changed. He's trained, he's transformed, to the point where I asked if he'd consider joining me for the summit push.

"The crazy part is a year ago he had two legs, and a month ago he'd never worn crampons."

The expedition will be broadcast in real time through satellite links and via social media. Ed and Luke will be fundraising for Millimetres 2 Mountains. Donations can be pledged at First Ascent: Ed & Luke take on a World-First climb.

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Every once in a while, a route is sent that sends shockwaves through the rock climbing world. Think Wolfgang Güllich’s Action Directe in 1991, Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Cap in 2017, or Adam Ondra’s Silence, also in 2017. When an individual does more than just raise the bar, but rather shatters the ceiling. These are the climbs that etch the names of the world’s greatest climbers into history forever.

For American legend Lynn Hill, her pièce de résistance was the free climb of El Cap’s The Nose in 1994. Climbed in just 23 hours, it was an unprecedented achievement at the time. Yvon Chouinard, fellow climbing legend and the founder of Patagonia, proclaimed that the feat was ‘the biggest thing that’s ever been done on rock’.

This climb was merely the pinnacle of Hill’s glittering career, which includes several sport climbing first free ascents and a hot streak in the world of competition climbing during the 1980s.

We asked one of our climbing and mountaineering experts to delve into Hill’s life, revealing her benchmark climbs and a little of the character of this living legend.

Early life

Hill was born in Detroit on January 3, 1961. She was one of seven children, a factor that would have a bearing on her fiercely self-sufficient. nature. At the age of eight she took up gymnastics but was by no means enamored with the different expectations and rules placed on male and female gymnasts, a theme that would run throughout her athletic career. Nevertheless, she was clearly talented and became one of the top young gymnasts in her state.

It was at the age of 14 that Hill first roped up on an outing with her two older sisters, brother and her sister’s boyfriend Chuck Bludworth. She was hooked and started climbing regularly in Southern California, taking to it like a duck to water thanks, in part, to the physical prowess she'd already developed as a gymnast.

It was the ideal escape from what had become a fraught family life with the divorce of her parents. A first trip to Yosemite, aged 16, introduced her to El Cap, Half Dome and the legendary Camp 4. There, she met her first boyfriend, Charlie Row, and the two would go on to climb together extensively. It was with Row that Hill climbed her first big wall route.

A burgeoning talent

Now totally hooked on climbing and inspired by the bold approach of characters like Beverly Johnson, the young Hill was on course to become the leading climber of her age. In the late 70s and early 80s, she became a mainstay in the ragtag climbing community at Yosemite’s Camp 4, eking out a simple existence of climbing and working just enough to survive. Here she developed a love for trad climbing and a proclivity for the free-climbing approach – a purer way to tackle a route than that offered by aid climbing.

In the summer of 1978, a romance blossomed with climber John Long. The two would go on to free climb Ophir Broke in Colorado. This taxing crack climb is graded 5.12d, which made it the hardest free climb ever sent by a woman at the time.

While Long was able to overcome the crux moves using his longer reach and physical power, Hill would discover alternative and subtler ways to unlock the puzzles, using holds that Long simply couldn’t access.

Hill climbed extensively with Long in the late 70s and early 80s, putting up many first free ascents, before they went their separate ways. She moved to New York, graduated in biology at the State University and developed a soft spot for the climbing at the Shawangunks, affectionately known as The Gunks.

Here, she achieved a raft of first free ascents, including Vandals, at the time the first ever female climb of a 5.13b. She also met her future husband, fellow Gunks climber Russ Raffa. The two married in 1988, though they’d subsequently divorce in the early 90s.

Europe, competition and rivalry with Catherine Destivelle

In 1986, Hill was one of a group of American climbers invited to climb in France by the French Alpine Club. Legendary climbing venues were on the menu, such as the spectacular Verdon Gorge and the spiritual home of bouldering, the Forest of Fontainebleau.

It was during her time in Europe that Hill started competition climbing, inspired by the challenge of going up against other leading female climbers like Catherine Destivelle. The two would enjoy a friendly rivalry for years: two once-in-a-generation talents going toe-to-toe for glory.

By 1988, Hill had become a professional climber and was competing regularly in Italy and France. She’d go on to win in excess of 30 international titles during this period. It wasn’t all about the competition scene though. In 1990, she became the first female to redpoint (climbing the whole route without resting on the rope) a 5.14a route on Mass Critique in Cimaï, France.

Her most notable climbing accident occurred in 1989 on the cliffs at Buoux, France, when she fell 72 feet to the ground and was knocked unconscious. Despite having broken a bone in her foot and dislocating her left elbow, she was back at it just six weeks after the incident.

She also found time to enjoy the limestone of Germany’s hallowed Frankenjura, the birthplace of the redpoint (or Rotpunkt) style. Here, she onsighted Simon in 1992, becoming the first female to onsight a 5.13b route in history.

Hill subsequently said the climb was one of her most treasured achievements. It was inspired by the great Wolfgang Güllich, who was tragically killed in a car crash while Hill was in Germany.

In the early 90s, Hill’s rival Catherine Destivelle would turn away from competition climbing to focus on alpinism, becoming one of the greatest mountaineers of all time and going on to claim the first female lifetime achievement prize at the prestigious Piolets d’Or awards.

Like Destivelle, Hill was also done with competition climbing and hankered to return to her true love: big routes in the great outdoors. "For me," Hill said in an interview with UKC, "what was really important was the sense of freedom along with the beauty (of being outdoors)."

'It goes, boys!'

In the early 1990s, the most coveted climb in Yosemite – if not the world – was The Nose on El Capitan. Once thought to be unclimbable, this monumental big wall route climbs, as its name suggests, the 880-meter nose of arguably the world’s most iconic cliff, the prow where the southwest and southeast faces intersect.

Hill had attempted to free climb the route alongside British climber Simon Nadin in 1989, but failed. In 1993, she was back in Yosemite alongside partner Brooke Sandahl and managed to conquer the route, becoming the first person in history, male or female, to free climb it.

She famously quipped ‘it goes, boys!’ to the male-dominated climbing scene of the day. Such a sentiment perfectly sums up Hill's defiance during the long grapple with sexist viewpoints of the time. She'd continually confounded expectations, usually set by men, becoming an inspiration to other female climbers.

However, Hill’s masterpiece, the climb that she’s most famous for, came on September 16, 1994, when she repeated The Nose alongside Canadian climber Steve Sutton, topping out after just 23 hours. German climbing royalty Alexander Huber put her achievment in simple terms, saying that Hill had "passed men’s dominance in climbing and left them behind".

Over the following 30 years, only 12 people would manage an all-free ascent of The Nose, underlining the brilliance of Hill’s climb. It was unrepeated until Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden achieved a free ascent on October 14, 2005, though Scott Burke came close in 1998 but was forced to top rope the Great Roof pitch due to incoming bad weather.

Caldwell would go on to emulate Hill’s sub-24 hour attempt, free climbing The Nose in just 12 hours, two days after climbing it with Rodden in 2005.

After The Nose

1995 saw Hill join the elite The North Face Climbing Team, an adventure dream team of sorts, featuring the likes of legendary American mountaineers Alex Lowe and Conrad Anker. She joined an exploratory trip to Kyrgyzstan, putting up first ascents alongside Greg Child and Lowe. However, she found that this expedition, which leant more towards mountaineering than traditional rock climbing, didn’t necessarily suit her style.

Trips to places like Morocco, Madagascar, Thailand, China and Vietnam followed. Bravo les Filles on Madagascar’s Tsaranoro Massif in 1999 was a particular highlight, being the hardest first ascent of a big wall achieved by an all-female team at the time. Hill led Nancy Feagin, Kath Pyke and Beth Rodden up the magnificent 2,000-foot granite wall with aplomb.

In 2004, Hill met Brad Lynch and the two had a son together, Owen. Being a mother caused a reset of Hill’s priorities, though she still managed to climb extensively when not caring for her son as a single mother. She currently lives in Boulder, Colorado and continues to be a legend of the climbing world.

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

A couple of familiar faces returned to the podium after a thrilling climbing World Cup event in Chamonix, France, this weekend. The speed and lead climbing double header was full of entertainment and resulted in a couple of big victories for some of the world's best climbers.

Read on for our roundup of all the action from a brilliant climbing competition.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's speed competition

American prodigy Sam Watson put distance between himself and the rest of the IFSC World Cup leaderboard with a close-run second win of the season in Chamonix. The 19-year-old was a heavy favorite coming into the 2025 competition, but has fallen a little flat in previous rounds, winning just the one, in Bali, back in May.

Despite his mixed form, a second win of the season solidifies Watson's place atop the leaderboard and makes him the clear front-runner for the speed climbing series gold when the competition concludes in September.

After a steady qualifying round, he met Kazakhstan’s Rishat Khaibullin in the final, who lost out to the American by just 0.22 seconds. Zach Hammer, also American, rounded out the leaderboard after a tight third-place playoff against Erik Noya Cardona of Spain.

Following the event, a proud Watson told the IFSC: "This is the crown jewel of the World Cup circuit here in Chamonix. It’s my second time, so a repeat of last year, and this one meant a lot."

Khaibullin, 25, was equally pleased to be on the podium. He said: "I’m a little bit tired, but I am so excited after this competition. It’s a wonderful place for a World Cup, so I really enjoy it."

Women's speed competition

Another familiar face topped the podium in the women's speed climbing event.

Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw has been exceptional in this year's speed climbing competition, and although she's only won one previous event, has been consistently in and among the medals.

The 31-year-old put on a dominant display in Chamonix, racing up the wall in just 6.19 seconds in the final to comfortably beat the winner of the previous round, Indonesia’s Desak Dewi, who finished in 6.46 seconds to take the silver.

Like Watson, Miroslaw can now enjoy a comfortable lead atop the speed climbing table, as no one else in the competition has more than one gold.

Miroslaw won her first-ever IFSC World Cup gold at the same venue eight years ago, so she was more than happy to return to Chamonix.

"I actually return here after seven years as my last Chamonix World Cup was in 2018 when I also won, so I’m happy because Chamonix is very special," she told the IFSC.

"My first gold was here also, so it’s like the cycle of history.”

American climber Emma Hunt was also happy after this weekend's event. The 22-year-old has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season and remains near the top of the leaderboard after a pacy third-place finish.

“It’s so special because it’s the first competition that my whole family has been to where I’ve medalled, so it’s a special place," she explained to the IFSC.

Men's lead competition

Japanese superstar Sorato Anraku continued to cement his place as one of the world's best multi-discipline sport climbers with a speedy victory in the men's lead event.

After a typically faultless qualifying round, the 18-year-old held his nerve in the final as the only climber to top a challenging route. Lead climbing gold in Chamonix was his second of an incredible season, in which he's already won the bouldering series.

Spain's Alberto Ginés López finished just behind Anraku in second, after falling short of the final hold, while an ecstatic Filip Schenk of Italy won his first-ever World Cup medal with bronze.

Anraku's dazzling climb continues his incredible run in this year's IFSC World Cup and puts him out and ahead as a clear favorite for the lead series gold. It comes after back-to-back competitions where he missed out on the final round.

"I’m happy to come back and get the victory," he told the IFSC.

"I missed finals in Bali and Innsbruck, then I trained a lot after Innsbruck as I really wanted to win in Chamonix."

Women's lead

South Korea's Seo Chaehyun won her second lead climbing gold of the season with a precise climb in Chamonix.

The 21-year-old previously claimed victory in the first lead climbing round of the season, and sped to another win over the weekend, her sixth World Cup gold of a short but very impressive career.

"I'm super happy and I’m just lost for words. I can’t believe it," Seo told the IFSC after she topped the podium with a technical 44+ scored climb.

“I won my first gold medal here, and it felt amazing to climb again in front of such a huge crowd.”

American youngster Annie Sanders followed in second, after slipping a couple of times to lose the top spot. At just 17, Sanders is considered to be one of sport climbing's brightest young talents and can look forward to a big future, after she also impressed in the bouldering competition earlier this season.

In third place, Erin McNeice of Great Britain continued her excellent lead climbing campaign with another medal. The 21-year-old, who wasn't favoured before this year's competition, has medalled at every lead competition this season, and looks to be a real contender for the coveted series gold.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next IFSC World Cup event takes place on July 18 and 19 in Madrid, Spain. The two-day competition continues this year's thrilling lead climbing contest and will be crucial for deciding the men's and women's lead series winners.

Stick with Advnture for our preview of the event and a roundup of all the action the next week.

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The Climbing World Cup is back, and heading to Chamonix, France, for what promises to be a thrilling weekend of competition climbing action. This weekend's round pits the world's best speed and lead climbers against each other in two separate events.

The speed climbing competition starts today with a qualification round, before the finals take place tomorrow, July 12. The lead climbing competition begins tomorrow, with a tense final round taking place on Sunday, July 13.

There's plenty to look forward to this weekend, as climbers from both disciplines look to climb the leaderboard in pursuit a the coveted series win.

Read on for our preview of the 11th round of this season's climbing World Cup, which includes the schedule, information on how to watch the competition, and who to look out for on the wall.

Ones to watch

Men's speed climbing

The men's speed climbing competition is heading towards a thrilling conclusion, and this week's penultimate event is likely to make a huge difference to the leaderboard.

There have been four winners from the four events so far, with little separating the favorites. Indonesia's Kiromal Katabin currently holds the pole position, thanks to a speedy gold in Denver last month and an impressive second-place finish in the previous speed climbing competition in Krakow, Poland.

Breathing down his neck is American prodigy Sam Watson, who's also won one event this year and has shown plenty of promise in the rest of the competition. Watson has been a mainstay atop speed climbing leaderboards after he burst onto the scene with a world record time in last year's Olympic Games.

Victory for either climber would solidify their place as the favorite for the series gold, and put clear water between them and the rest of the competition.

Women's speed climbing

This year's women's competition has been similarly tight, with several close calls and four different winners. The pick of the bunch has been Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw, who sped up the wall to claim a terrific victory at the second speed climbing event of the year in Bali, Indonesia.

Although she missed out on gold at her home World Cup last weekend, the 31-year-old remains in contention, thanks to her consistent performances throughout the 2025 competition.

Although she'll be confident, Miroslaw will have to contend with two fierce competitors in Chamonix, Indonesia's Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, and American Prodigy Emma Hunt. The former won her first-ever IFSC World Cup event with a lightning-fast climb in the previous round, while the latter has shown composure well beyond her years, with several impressive climbs in this year's competition.

Hunt, 22, surged to victory with an unstoppable qualification climb in Denver, before the competition was stopped due to poor weather.

All three will be eager to make it to the final round and get their shot at more World Cup glory on Sunday, July 13.

Men's lead climbing

We're only three rounds into the 2025 lead climbing competition, and there's already plenty to climb for.

Like many modern climbing competitions, this one has been dominated by youngsters, with Japan's Sorato Anraku catching the eye after an exciting victory at the first lead climbing event of the season. The 18-year-old has been in and around the medals at the two competitions since, but narrowly lost out to countrymen Satone Yoshida and Neo Suzuki.

Anraku will be eager to claim an elusive second lead climbing win of the season in Chamonix and take one step further towards the lead series victory.

Spectators will also have their eyes out for Great Britain's Toby Roberts, who's run hot and cold in this year's competition. Roberts, 20, was considered to be one of the favorites coming into the 2025 lead climbing event, but has so far fallen flat and failed to win any of the previous rounds.

He'll be hoping to get back to the form that won him Olympic gold at last year's games when he returns to the wall on Saturday. Despite his slow start, the open nature of the competition still means that Roberts is in with a shot at series gold if he takes victory over the weekend.

Women's lead climbing

Before the season, few fans would've thought that a young and unknown British climber would be out and ahead atop the women's lead climbing leaderboard, but here we are. Just three competitions into the 2025 season, 21-year-old Erin McNeice has two gold medals and one bronze.

In an extraordinary opening round, she tied with South Korea's Chaehyun Seo, after both recorded the same scores in the final, semi-final, and qualification rounds in Wujiang, China. The next event would be a little less close, with the aggressive Brit speeding up the wall to claim a decisive second gold of the season.

McNeice will be waiting patiently for Saturday's qualifying round to see if World Cup legend Janja Garnbret is competing. The 26-year-old, who's won an astonishing 47 World Cup competitions, has missed most of the World Cup season while she takes a break to recover from years of competitive climbing, but returned last week with a dominant gold medal display.

The Slovenian climber is yet to confirm whether she'll be in attendance this weekend. If she is, Garnbret will be a sure-fire favorite and could challenge McNeice for her position as the competition leader.

IFSC World Cup Schedule

Speed qualification

• 10am PT (July 11) / 1am EST (July 11) / 4pm BST (July 11) Men's and women's qualification

Speed finals

• 12am PT (July 12) / 3pm EST (July 12) / 8am BST (July 12) Men's and women's finals

Lead qualification

• 12am PT (July 12) / 3am EST (July 12) / 8pm BST (July 12) Men's and women's qualification

Lead finals

• 11.30am PT (July 13) / 2.30pm EST (July 13) / 7.30pm BST (July 13) Men's final
• 12.25pm PT (July 13) / 3.25pm EST (July 13) / 8.25pm BST (July 13) Women's final

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place over 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

How to watch the IFSC World Cup

There are loads of ways to watch the upcoming World Cup competition, with plenty of broadcasters and streaming services providing coverage.

Check out how you can watch where you are with our expert guide.

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It's been a busy few weeks in the world of rock climbing. Following Sasha DiGiulian and Marianna Ordóñez first female free climb of Bravo Les Filles, a Madagascan big wall route, German climber Yannick Flohé has gone and achieved the most difficult flash in bouldering history.

Very much at the other end of the climbing spectrum but no less impressive than DiGiulian and Ordóñez's ascent, on July 9 Flohé flashed Foundation's Edge in Fionnay, Switzerland. This 39ft (12m) boulder problem is graded V15 (Font 8c), making it potentially the most difficult problem that has ever been flashed.

For the uninitiated, a flash is a climbing term used to describe the completion of a climb cleanly at the first time of asking, having received beta (prior information) or conducted research on the route. Most climbers work on such boulder problems for significant amounts of time, a process known as projecting. Climbing a V15 at the first time of asking is unheard of, until now.

Foundation's Edge

Following his success, Flohé took to social media to spread the news, proclaiming "yesterday I flashed my hardest boulder ever," and going on to say that the climb "went perfectly."

To put the grade into context, the hardest boulder problems in the world sit at V17 (Font 9a), just a couple of grades above what Flohé flashed. The world's elite tend to spend months or even years unlocking the crux moves of such problems. The hardest section of the one of the world's hardest sport climbs, Silence, sent by Adam Ondra in 2017, is a V15 problem. Widely regarded as the world's finest, Ondra has flashed V14s (Font 8b+) in the past, but never a problem graded V15.

Of course, it should be stated that climbing grades are always vulnerable to subjectivity. However, Foundation's Edge is an established problem and has been climbed by other elite climbers, including Daniel Woods, Will Bosi, Shawn Raboutou, Simon Lorenzi, Clément Lechaptois, Pietro Vidi and Dylan Chuat. While there's general consensus of the V15 grade, some have said that it's soft for the grade, according to one report.

In his Instagram post, Flohé was magnanimous admitting that he "knew for a while that this is probably the most flashable 8c in the world" and that he didn't "really think this is a proper 8c, even though no one has ever downgraded it and there’s for sure some softer ones out there". Nonetheless, the modest German deserves kudos for his achievement.

Who is Yannick Flohé?

Yannick Flohé is a 25-year-old German rock climber who is a regular on the competition climbing scene. He's won gold for the Combined Bouldering and Lead at the 2021 World Championships and in the Bouldering event at the 2022 World Cup.

In the bouldering world, he's sent several V16 (Font 8c+) problems in France and Switzerland, putting him among the world's elite. He's sponsored by Swiss outdoor brand Mammut.

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A tiny dog has been lauded as a hero by Air Zermatt rescue services after his owner's life was saved following a plunge into a crevasse in the Swiss Alps. The team praised the pooch for drawing attention to the location of the stricken walker, who was rescued as part of a "extraordinary mission" and taken to hospital for further treatment.

The incident, as reported in an Air Zermatt July 6 press release, took place on the Fee Glacier above the ski resort village of Saas-Fee. The owner and dog had been taking a walk on the glacier when the man broke a snow bridge and fell into a 26ft (8m) crevasse.

The dog, which was identified as a chihuahua by Air Zermatt, but may actually be a papillon spaniel, remained on the edge of the drop. The man called for help with a rudimentary walkie-talkie and, although someone nearby picked up his distress call, pinpointing his location was proving difficult.

An Air Zermatt chopper was scrambled to the Fee Glacier but was struggling to find the casualty due to the large size of the search area in conjunction with how small the crevasse's hole was. Miraculously, one of the rescuers spotted movement on a rock: it was the dog! The little animal was faithfully standing by the hole his owner had fallen through.

"The little dog did not move during the entire operation and closely followed every movement of the rescue specialists," reads the Air Zermatt statement. "It is fair to say that his behavior contributed significantly to the successful rescue. The dog is a four-legged hero who may have saved his master's life in a life-threatening situation."

Both owner and dog were safely flown off the glacier and transfered to hospital in the Swiss alpine city of Visp.

Hiking on a glacier

Glacier hiking is a spectacular activity, though hikers should always take additional precautions to stay safe. It's worth heading out with an experienced guide who can, quite literally, show you the ropes and teach you the required techniques.

• Never hike alone on a glacier: This is to ensure that, should the worst happen and you fall into a crevasse, someone is there to raise to alarm and help you get back out. Despite this heart-warming story, a dog is not usually adequate in such a scenario.
• Use specialized gear: You'll require winter hiking or mountaineering boots, ice axes and crampons, while you should also be tied to other people on a rope. This is to ensure that any fall into a crevasse can be arrested.
• Walk using specific techniques: Generally, you'll take smaller steps and move slowly to lower your chances of losing your balance, planting your ice axe for additional stability in the uphill hand when ascending a slope.

Air Zermatt

Air Zermatt is a Swiss helicopter rescue team based in Zermatt beneath the iconic Matterhorn. Its fleet of choppers provide rescue services across the Alps. A 2016 Netflix documentary series The Horn follows the team and their operations, providing an insight into the lives and perilous work of the team's pilots, rescuers and other employees.

If you think a helicopter ride around the Matterhorn sounds like fun, the good news is that Air Zermatt also provides sightseeing flights of between 20 and 40 minutes from its base in Zermatt. You'll enjoy magnificent views across the Alps, with giants like Monte Rosa, Lyskamm, Breithorn and Weisshorn strutting their stuff.

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Two hikers have tragically fallen to their deaths from popular British hiking spots.

On Saturday, a male walker fell from the notorious Sharp Edge, a razor-sharp rocky ridge on Blencathra in the Lake District National Park. Despite efforts from the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, they discovered that he had not survived the fall and the team escorted the other three members of his group safely off the ridge.

The team posted the tragic news on Instagram:

Sharp Edge, Lake District

Sharp Edge is a crest of narrow rock that arcs up from the shore of Scales Tarn towards Atkinson Pike, a subsidiary summit of Blencathra. Blencathra is one of the Lake District's most popular mountains, with a variety of interesting routes to the summit.

Like Striding Edge on nearby Helvellyn, Sharp Edge is a grade one scramble that balances achievability with airy thrills, making it a very sought-after ridge walk. In dry, calm conditions, it shouldn't pose too many problems to confident hikers.

However, the crest is extremely narrow in places and the rock has been polished by the passage of countless hiking boots. Fatalities sadly occur every now and again, which has led to it being considered among the most dangerous hiking routes in the UK, though this has more to do with the sheer numbers taking on the challenge than its objective difficulties.

Some sections are particularly hazardous when wet, particularly The Bad Step, a sloped slab perched above a potentially deadly drop that forms the crux of the route. The gully beneath this feature is known to mountain rescue as The Usual Gully as this is where casualties often end up. Attempting Sharp Edge in wet conditions is dangerous.

In full winter conditions, it becomes a mountaineering objective, requiring experience and the use of an ice axe and crampons.

• See our 9 expert tips for staying safe on mountain ridges

Peak District incident

Five days earlier, on June 30, a male hiker died after a fall from Kinder Downfall, the Peak District National Park's highest waterfall. The Kinder Mountain Rescue Team attended the scene but found that he had not survived. After a 10-hour effort involving the coastguard helicopter and the Buxton and Glossop Mountain Rescue Teams, the man's body was recovered from the site.

The Kinder Mountain Rescue Team posted on social media saying: "We would like to thank the group of walkers who called in the incident for their assistance. The team would like to pass on our sincere condolences to the walker's family."

Kinder Downfall

Kinder Downfall is located on the western edge of the sprawling Kinder Scout plateau, a huge moorland upland that's the highest ground in the Peak District National Park at 2,087ft (636m). The Downfall is where the River Kinder plunges 98ft (30m) from the plateau into a wide, rocky ravine.

The waterfall provides good ice climbing when frozen, making it a popular objective for England's climbers and mountaineers. In strong westerly winds, the waterfall is also renowned for the way it blows back on itself, as gusts are funnelled up through the chasm.

The scrambling routes on Kinder Downfall are generally much more difficult than Sharp Edge. While only short, the primary routes are given either a grade 3 scrambling or a Mod trad climbing grade – equivalent to around a Class 4 route on the Yosemite Decimal System. It's exactly the sort of ground where scrambling becomes climbing and is quite a risky undertaking without a rope.

• See our guide on climbing rating systems for more on sport, trad, bouldering and scrambling grades

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• The best waterproof jackets: brave the elements

Fjallraven is one of the world's leading outdoor brands. The Swedish company began life in the 1960s and shot to prominence in the years following, forging a stellar reputation for making reliable and trustworthy outdoor gear for all sorts of adventures.

However, one thing Fjallraven isn't known for is affordability. Due to its excellent reputation, the brand's products are often priced way above the norm. As our outdoors expert, Alex Foxfield, explains: "The primary reasons Fjällräven is so expensive are that its products are of exceptional quality, featuring highly durable and ethically sourced materials; they have a commitment to sustainable practices."

For these reasons, it's rare to find a Fjallraven deal as good as this one, which cuts the price of a sturdy and sustainable alpine shell by up to 40%. The Bergtagen Eco-Shell is now available for just $254.97 in men's sizes and $329.97 in women's sizes at Backcountry.

This lightweight and fully waterproof jacket is ready and waiting to take on tough mountaineering expeditions and high-altitude hikes. It's made from 70% recycled polyester and nylon materials and boasts plenty of protection from the elements.

Conditions near the summit can be unforgiving all year round. This shell is designed to beat back against the biting winds and freezing temperatures with an insulating three-layer fabric design and adjustable hood to stop cold breezes from entering through your neck.

When the sun comes out, you can dump heat by unzipping the side vents and enjoy the mountains in comfort.

Not in the US? You can look below for today's best Fjallraven shell deals where you are:

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K2 and Nanga Parbat, two iconic mountains in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, are also respectively known as the Savage Mountain and the Killer Mountain. These two formidable peaks have long attracted mountaineers to their dangerous slopes and both have been the scene of many tragedies.

However, this year, alpinists attempting to tackle the high peaks of the Western Himalayas and Karakoram are finding additional hazards brought about by this year's scorching temperatures.

Consider that the freezing level is the glue that holds the mountains together, with ice, snow and rock all bound in a frozen embrace. When abnormally high temperatures melt this glue, the chance of avalanche increases hugely and rockfalls are common.

Polish writer and adventurer Łukasz Supergan has been attempting to climb the Karakoram's Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain at 26,414ft (8,051m) and one of K2's neighbors. On July 5, he took to Instagram to post: "The weather this year is strange".

His photo shows tents perched above the Baltoro Glacier at conspicuously snow-free Camp II. He goes on to say: "Since I arrived, hardly any snow has fallen. There was hardly any precipitation in spring either. This means that parts of the route I would normally take through snow are now rocky and very unstable. Climbing there is unpleasant and risky."

Similar scenes have been reported on K2, while photos taken from the foot of the mountain show glacial lakes forming where the ice has melted.

Reports also suggest that conditions have been similarly challenging on Nanga Parbat. Whether or not they had a direct bearing on the tragic death of Czech alpinist Klára Kolouchova on July 3 is unknown, though it's clear that her team were met with higher than usual temperatures.

The lack of snow up to Camp III meant that climbers were having to negotiate difficult and loose rock, as well as having to use the front-points of their crampons on stretches of naked ice that would have usually been snow slopes.

Record June and July temperatures

This all comes after a blistering June heatwave in Northern India and Pakistan, as well as record temperatures in recent days in Gilgit-Baltistan.

June was a particularly dry month in the region, with authorities issuing heat warnings in places like Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Reports suggest that Pakistan's Punjab province's hospitals were overwhelmed with heatstroke patients.

It's also been reported that Northern Pakistan recorded some of its highest temperatures ever on July 5. Gilgit-Baltistan's Chilas district reached 119.3°F (48.5°C), breaking a record that had stood for 28 years. It has prompted officials to warn that the intense heat could speed up snow and glacier melting, leading to the possibility of flash flooding in the valleys below.

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Some 26 years ago, the legendary American climber Lynn Hill and all-star team were busy developing what was, at the time, the most difficult big wall climb ever sent by an all-female group. Madagascar's spectacular Tsaranoro massif's granite cliffs were the setting for what would be a pioneering and historic climb.

They named the 2,000ft (600m) route Bravo les Filles – Well done Girls in French (one of the two main languages spoken on the island). During their 15-day ascent, one pitch eluded the team, the 5.13d (8b) crux of the route, which they were unable to free climb.

But that's all changed, after Hill's protégé Sasha DiGuilian and climbing partner Marianna "Mango" Ordóñez successfully free climbed the route, becoming the first women in history to do so and finishing what Hill and her team started.

After a three-day effort involving some committing run outs (long sections without protection) and nights spent on a portaledge, the pair emerged victorious, writing their name into climbing history.

In a post on Instagram, DiGiulian said: "Elated, proud, and grateful to have had such a memorable experience on a legendary line with an incredible friend!!! Also grateful for the amazing line established by Lynn Hill, Nancy Feagin, Kath Pyke and Beth Rodden!"

The 1999 attempt

Widely regarded as one of the greatest sport climbers in history, Lynn Hill had already wowed the world with her incredible achievements during the 1980s and '90s. Her first free climb of El Cap's The Nose in 1993 stamped her name into the history books. She repeated the feat in just 23 hours the following year, prompting German climbing legend Alexander Huber to state that she had "passed men’s dominance in climbing and left them behind".

In 1999, she spearheaded an all-female team of Nancy Feaginm, Kathy Pyke and a 19-year-old Beth Rodden in an attempt to climb the hardest big wall route ever put up by a female team. The team painstakingly developed the sport climbing route on Tsaranoro Kelly, a hugely challenging granite cliff. This involved weeks of climbing where they'd drill bolts into the face to setup the route.

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After all this effort, Hill was exhausted. The act of setting the 13-pitch route up seemed to have scuppered her chances of achieving a redpoint - a form of free climb wherein the climber rehearses a route before sending it without falling or resting on the rope.

Nevertheless, the team managed to mostly free climb climb the route, requiring aid only on the eighth pitch, the 5.13d (8b) crux.

The film below tells the story of their 1999 expedition.

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History-making Czech mountaineer Klára Kolouchová has tragically died on Nanga Parbat, one of the Himalayas highest and most coveted peaks. Kolouchová, the first Czech woman to climb all three of the world's highest mountains – Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga – had been attempting to summit Nanga Parbat, having turned back in 2024.

The incident is thought to have taken place on Thursday July 3, though the exact details of what occurred remain unclear. Reports from Pakistan Tourism News and the Pamir Times suggest an oxygen gas cylinder exploded, leading to a fatal fall from the mountain somewhere between Camp I and Camp II.

However, according to reports in Sport.cz, mountaineer Jan Travnicek refutes than an oxygen cylinder explosion caused the fall. According to this report, the 46-year-old was climbing to Camp III before deciding to turn back due to "health problems", accompanied by a Nepalese Sherpa. Both accounts agree that she suffered a fatal fall somewhere near Camp II.

Her body remains at the site of her fall, though authorities are working to retrieve it using a Pakistani Army helicopter.

The vice-president of the Pakistan Mountaineering Club paid tribute, saying that she was "an inspiration to female climbers. Her death has left a void among mountaineers".

Kolouchová, her husband and five other team members had reached Base Camp on June 17. Reports on Explorersweb suggest that conditions on the mountain were difficult this year, due to higher than usual temperatures. The lack of snow up to Camp III has meant that climbers have had to negotiate challenging rock sections, as well as difficult front-pointing on naked ice.

Who was Klára Kolouchová?

Klára Kolouchová, was a pioneering Czech mountaineer who had a string of impressive achievements to her name. As well as being the first Czech woman to climb all three of Everest, K2 and Kanchenjunga, she'd also completed the Seven Summits between 2003 and 2015.

In total, she had five of the world's fourteen 8,000ers under her belt, having climbed Cho Oyu in 2006, Everest in 2007, K2 and Kanchenjunga in 2019 and Annapurna I in 2024. She'd been the first Czech woman to climb K2, Kanchenjunga and Annapurna I.

She attempted Nanga Parbat in 2024, passing the Kinshofer Wall and reaching 20,000ft (6,100m). However, she decided to turn back having evaluated the snow conditions and weather forecast. In May 2024, she'd attempted Dhaulagiri, the world's 7th highest mountain, before turning her attention to Nanga Parbat once again for summer 2025.

Nanga Parbat

At 26,660ft (8,126m), Nanga Parbat is the 9th highest mountain in the world. It's considered alongside K2 and Annapurna among the most deadly of the world's highest mountains, earning it the nickname Killer Mountain. Its Rupal Face is thought of as the highest mountain wall in the world, rising from the Rupal Valley at around 11,500ft (3,500m) to the summit and comprising around 15,000ft (4,600m) of steep buttresses and icefields.

The mountain has played an important role in mountaineering history and has been the scene of several tragedies. Interestingly, according to the Guinness World Records, it's also the fastest growing mountain on the planet, growing by around 0.27in (7mm) every year.

Its first ascent was claimed by the great Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl in 1953, who climbed the final 4,300ft (1,300m) alone and without oxygen, before enduring an incredible epic during the descent. Having reached the summit very late in the day, he then lost a crampon and was forced to bivouac while standing on a tiny ledge. He returned to the high camp the next day after spending 40 hours high on the mountain.

Buhl was a hero for the young Reinhold Messner, who'd go on to be regarded by many as the greatest mountaineer of all time. He and his brother Günther's remarkable first ascent of Nanga Parbat's Rupal Face in 1970 would prove fatal for Günther, who was killed by an avalanche while descending the mountain's Diamir Face.

There have been many other momentous successes and tragic deaths on the mountains in the years that followed. Notably, Steve House and Vince Anderson pulled of a fast and light, alpinist style ascent of the Rupal Face's Central Pillar in 2005, one of the masterpieces of modern mountaineering.

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Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We're now into the second half of the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Cup, and things are heating up in the speed climbing competition.

Last weekend's round was one to remember, with plenty of close climbs, a tantalising men's final, and a new winner in the women's competition. Read on for our rundown of an eye-catching competition in Krakow, Poland.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's competition

The men's competition reached a thrilling conclusion, as Indonesia's Raharjati Nursamsa won gold by just 0.2 seconds. The 24-year-old, who's only won one other IFSC World Cup competition in his career, wasn't touted as a favorite before the competition, but came out on top after a steady performance in qualification and an inspired climb in the final.

He edged out his in-form countryman Kiromal Katibin with a lightning-fast time of 4.73 seconds on the outdoor climbing wall. Katabin, who was chasing a second World Cup gold of the season, was also impressive, and both climbers broke the Asian speed record in a tense final round.

Silver in Krakow puts Katabin in pole position to win the 2025 speed climbing series, especially as competition favorite Sam Watson crashed out in qualifying after a false start.

The bronze went to Japanese youngster Ryo Omasa, who's enjoyed an impressive season. He won silver at the second speed climbing event of the season, in Bali, and comfortably beat American Zach Hammer in Krakow after the 19-year-old stumbled in the third-place playoff.

Women's competition

Indonesian supporters were also celebrating after the women's event last weekend, as Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi won her maiden IFSC World Cup event.

The 24-year-old has been on the professional speed climbing scene since 2021, but had never won a World Cup round. That changed on Sunday, when she surged past America's Emma Hunt to secure gold with an impressive time of 6.27 seconds. The pair were neck and neck until the halfway point on the wall when Hunt lost her footing and stumbled to the silver.

World-record holder and Olympic gold medalist Aleksandra Miroslaw had to settle for bronze on her home turf. The Polish climber has been the pick of the bunch in this year's competition and would have been hoping for gold as the World Cup returned to her home country for the first time in 15 years.

She beat compatriot Natalia Kalucka in a tight bronze medal match to remain in contention for the coveted series victory when the speed climbing competition reaches its finale in September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next round of the 2025 IFSC climbing World Cup is a lead and speed climbing double header in Chamonix, France.

The bumper competition lasts from July 11 to July 13, with qualification beginning this Friday. You can catch all the build-up here on Advnture.

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It’s thrilling, moving quickly and continuously along an exposed mountain ridge, unencumbered with ropes and protective gear, getting hands on with the ancient rock. Yep, compared to the short bursts of activity followed by faff and a long belay wait when climbing, scrambling feels like a purer pursuit – a liberating form of adventure. Just you and the mountain. Not as risky as free soloing, but still something that feels just a little…edgy.

The popularity of scrambling has been gaining pace alongside its better-known cousins, namely hiking and rock climbing, for some time. Scrambling is the bridge between the two. At one end of the scrambling spectrum, you’ve got adventurous hiking, the sort where you can no longer amble along with your hands in your pockets. At the other extreme, you’ve got the sort of terrain on which the vast majority of folk, unless you’re someone like Alex Honnold, would want to be attached to a rope.

The line between difficult scrambling and easy climbing is a blurry one and it’s difficult to define exactly where scrambling ends and climbing begins. Regardless, many people have tried to do just this. We thought we’d throw our hat into the ring by asking one of our mountaineering experts to consider just when does scrambling become climbing.

What exactly is scrambling?

Scrambling is defined as the act of using your hands as well as your feet to progress through rocky backcountry terrain. Easier scrambling can be thought of as adventurous hiking, while tougher scrambles can be thought of as ‘nontechnical climbs’, as named in the Sierra Club’s Definitions for Scrambling Ratings – a document I'll be referencing quite a bit in due course.

A scramble will often form the crux – the trickiest bit – of an easier hiking route, and many popular hikes have short sections of scrambling in them. More sustained routes, with long stretches of terrain where the use of hands is required, are usually given a title, making them 'named scrambles'. Examples include the Crestone Traverse in the Rockies or Aonach Eagach in the Scottish Highlands.

Easy scrambles are usually tackled without a rope or other climbing equipment, while most people probably would rope up for the more difficult scrambles. It’s this that begs the question: when does scrambling become climbing?

Unroped scrambling is a potentially dangerous pursuit, particularly in the higher grades, when it essentially becomes easy free soloing – we'll explore this distinction more in due course too. Many of the world's most dangerous hiking trails feature sections of easier scrambling that are typically done without climbing equipment.

How are scrambles graded in America?

The US and the UK have their own grading systems to indicate the difficulty of a scramble. Handily, the American Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) captures the full spectrum of difficulty from a simple walk (Class 1) right through to Adam Ondra’s Silence, perhaps the hardest sport climb ever sent (5.15d). Classes 1 through 4 are described as non-technical mountain climbs, with Classes 2 through 4 representing the sort of terrain that would be defined as a scramble.

Indeed, the much-respected and comprehensive instructional mountaineering text Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills backs this assertion up. It reads: 'Nontechnical climbs, or scrambles, occur on second-, third-, or even fourth-class terrain.'

The Sierra Club have further broken down Classes 2, 3 and 4, giving each subcategories within the grade to describe nuances in difficulty, much in the same way as the Class-5 climbing grades are broken down.

Class 2 is described by the Sierra Club as: 'simple scrambling and rough cross-country travel on scree, talus, and boulders, with minimal exposure and low to moderate risk'. This doesn’t sound like rock climbing to me.

The club describe Class 3 thus: 'moderate scrambling on steep, rocky terrain that requires handholds for upward movement and safety. Beginners may want a belay due to increased exposure and risk of serious injury'. This is beginning to sound more like rock climbing than hiking. However, Angels Landing in Zion National Park is a renowned Class-3 route and very few would think of it as a rock climb.

Class 4, however, is: 'difficult and exposed scrambling on very steep terrain where a rope is often advisable for safety, given the substantial risk of serious injury or death in the event of a fall'. The first subcategory, 4.0, is defined accordingly: 'brief, very hard scrambling' with 'readily available holds' and notes that 'some climbing skills are needed'. Understandably, it recommends a helmet and a rope for belays and descending. By the time we get into the meat of the 4.1 subcategory, however, the words 'rappel' and 'commitment' start getting thrown around. Commitment and rappels? I reckon we’re into the realms of rock climbing here.

How are scrambles graded in the UK?

Scrambles are graded differently to both sport and trad climbs in the UK, with a separate system that goes from Grade 1 (easier) to Grade 3 (harder). The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) outlines the definitions on its website. In fact, it goes as far as to say scrambling is 'essentially' easy rock climbing. Though I and many others would assert that easy scrambling has much more in common with hiking than with climbing.

UK Grade-1 scrambles are comparable to YDS Class 2 routes and are usually tackled without ropes or other climbing equipment. Adventurous hiking, one might say.

UK Grade-2 scrambles 'blur the line between scrambling and rock climbing' though the BMC don’t really describe the terrain in their definition. Let’s bring in the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC), who describe Grade-2 scrambles in their Highland Scrambles North guide as having 'considerable exposure' and 'short technically difficult sections'. Like YDS Class 3, we’re starting to approach something that sounds a little like climbing to me. Scottish classics like the Liathach Traverse and the Aonach Eagach fall into the Grade-2 category.

UK Grade-3 scrambles 'often appear in climbing guides as ‘Moderately’ graded climbing routes', according to the BMC. 'Use of the rope is to be expected for several sections, which may be up to about ‘Difficult’ in rock climbing standards'. Enough said?

The SMC have this to say about UK Grade-3 scrambles: 'Thought-provoking moves on steep rock in exposed situations'. Sounds pretty climbingy to me. Wait…here comes the nail in the coffin, the piton in the rock – if you will. 'A few slings, nuts and karabiners may prove useful for setting up belays'. Case closed. UK Grade-3 scrambling might as well be called climbing. Right?

When does scrambling become climbing?

The short answer to the question posed at the top of this piece is: there’s no agreed point at which scrambling becomes climbing. What is clear is that respected bodies like the Sierra Club, the BMC and the SMC draw many parallels between YDS Classes 3 and 4 and UK Grade 2 and 3 scrambling and easy climbing, while the BMC go further by suggesting a direct overlap between the two pursuits.

So, it seems that scrambling blurs into climbing somewhere within those grades, perhaps at the upper end of YDS Class 3 and UK Grade 2, where the use of a rope becomes desirable for most people in order to prevent serious injury or death, or at least provide the confidence needed to tackle the route.

Another way to think of it is to consider the approach an individual takes to these sorts of borderline routes. Perhaps this is what determines whether you’re scrambling or climbing. Bring your climbing shoes and full rack to the first pitch and you’re doing a spot of easy climbing. Bring a lightweight scrambler’s rack and approach shoes to the same route and you’re taking on a roped scramble. Leave the harness and ropes at home and attempt it sans protection, and you’re embarking on some very bold scrambling.

This begs the question: when does bold, unroped scrambling become free soloing? Well, once you get into routes within the YDS Class 5 grades that describe 'technical rock climbing' or into the UK’s accepted sport and trad climbing grades, you’d be within your right to say you were free soloing if tackling them without a rope. Note: this is certainly not something we’d advise doing.

Brette Harrington, one of America’s leading alpinists and one-time partner of the late Marc-André Leclerc (of 2021 documentary film The Alpinist) fame, cites mindset as being the key difference between scrambling and free soloing. When scrambling, the climber is 'cruising', whereas when free soloing they require laser focus. In this case, it's the competence and confidence of the climber that determines what they're doing, not the difficulty of the route itself.

Now, here’s the thing. Scrambling and climbing grades are highly subjective and the challenges posed by any given route will vary depending on factors like the weather and what the scrambler chooses to wear. A hard scramble that feels desperate in trail running shoes will probably feel much easier in approach shoes. Take on a relatively easy scramble in the wet and you’ll likely be more gripped than on a technical climb in glorious summer sunshine.

Inevitably there’s a bit of an overlap between hard scrambling and easy climbing, and the routes and sort of terrain that fall into the center of this adventurous Venn diagram are bound to cause debate. An experienced crag rat might proclaim that a certain route ‘was nothing more than a scramble’, while someone working their way up the grades would probably consider the same route as a thrilling climb. I’ve heard some people describe the Matterhorn’s Hornli Ridge as a scramble. I’ve one word for such a sentiment: psychopathic.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether it’s technically a scramble or a climb – all that matters is that you enjoy it. As the late legendary American mountaineer Alex Lowe once said: ‘the best climber is the one having the most fun’.

Ready for more Climbing World Cup action? After the excitement of last week's bumper bouldering and lead competition, the world's best speed climbers are ready and waiting to get back on the wall as the world's premier climbing competition returns to Poland for the first time in 15 years.

Speed climbing superstars like China's Deng Lijuan and Sam Watson of the USA will be eager to continue scaling this year's leaderboard in the fourth of five speed climbing rounds.

Read on for our preview of the upcoming event in Krakow, which includes the schedule, information on how to watch the competition, and who to look out for on the wall.

Ones to watch

Men's competition

Before the season began, USA's Sam Watson was a nailed-on favorite for the 2025 speed climbing series victory. The 19-year-old broke the speed world record twice at the Paris 2024 Olympics and was a dominant force in last year's World Cup.

Yet, with two competitions to go, the event remains wide open, and the eventual series winner is anyone's guess. There have been three different victors from three competitions so far, and despite a crushing victory at the second round in Bali, Watson has been pipped by both Long Jianguo and Kiromal Katabin.

Indonesia's Katabin stood out from the pack when he sped to gold in the previous round in Denver, USA. The 24-year-old's gold-medal-winning time of 4.83 seconds was particularly impressive considering the windy conditions at the outdoor event. Less than 100 points currently separate him and Watson atop the series leaderboard, and gold for either man would go a long way to securing the coveted series victory.

Olympic champion and fellow Indonesian Leonardo Veddriq is also in with a shout. At 28, Veddriq is something of a veteran by sport climbing standards but has put his experience to good use with eight World Cup victories over a long speed climbing career.

Women's competition

The women's speed climbing competition has been a similarly open affair, with three climbers taking the top spot so far.

The previous competition was won by the young and hungry Emma Hunt after stormy weather forced climbers off the wall in Denver. The 22-year-old USA athlete was the fastest in qualification and took home the gold as a result, beating out experienced competitors like Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw and Lijuan Deng of China.

Miroslaw has also impressed in this year's competition. After a sub-standard first round, she shot up the leaderboard with a convincing win at the following event in Bali, Indonesia. A second-place finish in Denver solidified her position as one of the frontrunners for the series victory, something she could take another step towards with gold in her home country.

Deng can also count herself as a favorite. The 25-year-old has built an admirable sport climbing career by consistently getting among the medals at IFSC events and came second to Miroslaw in the Paris 2024 Olympics. She'll be keen to pip her rival and secure a first gold of the season when the action gets going on July 5.

IFSC World Cup Schedule

Qualification

• 4am PT (July 5) / 7am EST (July 5) / 12pm BST (July 5) Women's qualification
• 5.15am PT (July 5) / 8.15am EST (July 5) / 1.15pm BST (July 5) Men's qualification

Finals

• 3am PT (July 6) / 6am EST (July 6) / 11am BST (July 6) Men's and women's finals

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place over 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

How to watch the IFSC World Cup

There are loads of ways to watch the upcoming World Cup competition, with plenty of broadcasters and streaming services providing coverage.

Check out how you can watch where you are with our expert guide.

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Rock climbing is awesome. And also very expensive. From shoes to harnesses and ropes to racks, there's no getting around the fact that it's a costly habit, and that's why we've been trolling REI's massive July 4 sale to find you all the best deals on the gear you need.

The sale runs for a few more days through July 7, and among the thousands of items that the outdoor retailer has slashed prices on, we've found some excellent deals on climbing gear from French brand Petzl and Oregon-based Metolius.

We're talking about savings as big as hundreds of dollars off everything from climbing chalk all the way up to crash pads. You can grab some awesome kit, like the Petzl Whisper Harness, for as little as $134.89, or take $100 off the Metolius Magnum Crash Pad if you're looking to do more bouldering this summer.

We've outlined our favorite deals from Petzl and Metolius below, and you can shop the entire sale here. Remember, the sale ends on July 7, so don't delay.

If you're not in the US, scroll to the bottom of this article for today's best deals on Petzl and Metolius climbing gear.

Petzl deals

Metolius deals

Not in the US?

Still hunting for great deals? Look below for more of today's best deals on Petzl gear.

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A group of hikers who witnessed a rock climber plummet 60ft on Mount Washington have been praised by mountain rescue crews for their quick-thinking actions that helped save the man's life.

According to officials from New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Lukas Lamb Wotton, 31, of New Orleans was climbing in the area of Pinnacle Buttress in Huntington Ravine around midday on Wednesday, July 2 when he fell.

The hikers who saw the fall called 911 and shouted to another group of rock climbers who were able to make their way over to Wotton and communicate his condition to emergency services. The climbers provided first aid to Wotton, who was found to be suffering from multiple injuries, some "potentially life threatening."

Wotton was located in difficult terrain, so a group of elite climbers from Mount Rescue Service began their ascent from below while a Black Hawk helicopter also flew to the scene. Favorable conditions meant the helicopter crews were able to hoist Wotton shortly after 3pm and transport him to the hospital, where at last update, he had undergone surgery.

"This incident highlights the special relationships that exist in the outdoors of New Hampshire. Had hikers not seen this incident happen and shouted to nearby climbers, it could have been hours, if not days, before the victim was located," states the NHFGD report.

Wotton is listed as a coastal wetland ecosystem/landscape ecologist at Tulane University, and rescue crews report he had climbed in the area before and was familiar with the route that he was on at the time of his accident.

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These days, a pair of Hoka shoes is never far from a major trail race podium, and this year's Western States was no different.

While the first placed runners sported the yet-to-be-released Nike Ultrafly 2 (Caleb Olson) and the revered Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra (Abby Hall), Fuzhao Xiang took second place in the women's race, sporting a Hoka prototype.

The Chinese runner was back for another shot at the legendary California race over the weekend after taking second place last year. Her time of 16:47:09 was slower than her 2024 performance, but placed her once again on the podium, only 10 minutes behind Hall as runner-up and sixth fastest woman ever at the race.

That achievement also made Xiang the leader of Hoka's team at the 100-mile race, and inquiring minds wanted to know what shoes she was wearing. Would it be the Hoka Tecton X 3s that have seen Jim Walmsley win the Western States and Vincent Bouillard take the UTMB title in 2024?

Hoka, the official sponsor of WSER, has confirmed to Advnture that Xiang wore the brand's yet-to-be released Rocket X Trail, a shoe designed specifically for the demands of gravel racing.

“Fuzhao brought her A-game to the most legendary American trail race, and we couldn’t be prouder to see her hitting these heights at this point in the season. Western States has long been a proving ground, and it’s really meaningful to see Hoka on the podium again," says Mike McManus, Director of NA Sports Marketing.

What we know so far about the Hoka Rocket Trail

Previous iterations of the Rocket series, such as the Rocket X 2 have been built for road running, and this will be the first Rocket designed for the trails.

The inclusion of the X in the name denotes it has a carbon plate, and the brand tells us the shoe is ultralight and features a new A-TPU superfoam and "targeted traction" for speed over a variety of distances.

There's no mention of the model on Hoka's website yet, but a runner posted in a Reddit thread devoted to running shoes claims to have a few more details:

"I ran in a prototype last winter, it was light and quite responsive! It has a fairly high stack height and the midsole is on the firmer side. I really liked running in it, although with the 3 mm lugs and the higher stack height you're not going to be running with them in more technical terrain."

The Hoka Rocket X Trail will be available in limited quantities in the fall of 2025. If you can't wait, the Hoka Mafate X is out now for long-haul efforts.

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Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We're over halfway through the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Cup, and things are getting interesting.

Last week's competition was full of action. The bouldering and lead climbing round lasted for five days, in which the bouldering series winners were crowned and a familiar favorite returned to the lead climbing podium.

Read on for our rundown of a thrilling competition in Innsbruck, Austria.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's bouldering competition

This was the final bouldering event of the 2025 season and, as a result, crowned this year's bouldering world champions.

Climbing fans won't be surprised to hear that Japan's Sorato Anraku secured a series victory with a silver medal in the men's competition. The 18-year-old won the first three bouldering competitions of the season and has been miles ahead of his competitors on the leaderboard ever since.

His convincing series victory is his third in three seasons, marking an unheard-of beginning to the teenager's young career.

He was pipped to the competition gold in Innsbruck by Olympic champion Toby Roberts, who's struggled through a tricky start to the 2025 competition but now appears to be finding his feet. The 20-year-old British climber took on a tricky boulder with resiliency in the final and topped the leaderboard with 69.8 points.

Speaking to the IFSC, Roberts said: "I'm at a loss for words, I don’t really know what just happened."

“This season has been quite hard, but going into this event, I wanted to give everything, and to be honest, I’m a little bit starstruck. I’m just so happy.”

Women's bouldering competition

This year's women's bouldering competition has been a tense affair, with six different winners in six rounds.

In the end, the series win went to a deserving victor in the form of France's Oriane Bertone, who climbed consistently throughout, winning one gold and three silvers in this year's event. Bertone, 20, secured her place atop this year's leaderboard with another plucky second-place finish in Innsbruck, but was beaten on the day by returning titan Janja Garnbret.

Slovenia's Garnbret is a 47-time World Cup winner and modern-day competition climbing legend. She's missed every other event in the 2025 competition while taking time out to rest.

She returned to the wall in spectacular fashion over the weekend, climbing with aggression and topping each round of the final to finish with an untouchable score of 99.3. Her final, faultless climb was met by an eruption of applause from spectators and other climbers alike.

After securing the gold, she told the IFSC: "It feels amazing. I didn’t know how I would feel coming back, but this amazing Innsbruck crowd welcomed me back.”

“You never forget how to compete, but being back after nine months, in the middle of the season, was not the easiest thing. I had a lot of doubts: ‘Am I ready? Am I not? Am I even motivated?’ But I’m so glad I came back, I enjoyed it so much."

Men's lead climbing

While one event has drawn to a close, another is only just heating up.

We're now over halfway through the 2025 lead climbing World Cup competition, and still none the wiser as to who'll win the men's series when it concludes in September.

The latest round was another close affair, with five different climbers topping the challenging final route, meaning the winner was decided on countback. Roberts came close to completing a historic boulder-lead double, but it was Japan's Suzuki Neo who took the gold, thanks to a bold, fast, and faultless climb in the semi-final.

Gold in Innsbruck represents the first victory of the 20-year-old's young career, but he doesn't want to stop there.

“I’m very happy with my first gold medal,” he told the IFSC.

“I believe the route was a bit easy, but I found it difficult in the middle section, that's when I felt tired. Innsbruck is an awesome venue, there were so many people supporting me. My season is going very well, I would like to win the overall title".

Women's lead climbing

If you thought Janja Garnbret was content with just one gold medal on her return to competitive climbing, you'd be wrong. With bouldering victory secured, she raced up the wall with yet another dominant display in the lead climbing final.

Her final score of 41 was way ahead of anyone else in the competition, and reminded fans why she's been so successful for so long.

Incredibly, this is the third time in three years that she's won the boulder-lead combo in Innsbruck, a venue she's evidently very fond of.

"I love Innsbruck," an admittedly tired Garnbret told the IFSC.

"That’s why I chose this competition for my return after the Olympic year, the crowd is fantastic, they give you fuel, they give you energy to climb, I just love it. And I hope Innsbruck loves me too.”

Although she didn't win the gold, it was another impressive competition for Great Britain's Erin McNeice. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a great start to the lead climbing season and won the previous two lead climbing events in Wujiang and Bali.

Her third-place finish is enough to keep McNeice at the top of the leaderboard going into the final two lead climbing rounds in July and September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next round of the 2025 IFSC climbing World Cup takes the world's best speed climbers to Kraków, Poland, where they'll compete over two days of hard climbing.

Qualification begins on July 5, and you can catch all the build-up here on Advnture.

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Jimmy Chin’s talents seemingly know no bounds. His adventurous career makes a mockery of the perception that you have to focus entirely on one pursuit in order to master it. Where Chin is concerned, it’s a case of Jack of all trades – master of all trades. He’s an individual who commands the respect of both America’s greatest mountaineers and climbers, while he’s also responsible for bringing us some of the most spectacular climbing films the world has ever seen.

Chin is probably most famous for Free Solo, the documentary film that captured Alex Honnold’s quest to climb El Capitan without protection. Working alongside his wife Elizabeth Chai-Vasarhelyi to create the 2018, Oscar-winning phenomenon, he directed, produced, captured footage for and co-starred in the film, and had previously done the same for 2015’s critically acclaimed Meru. However, as is obvious from his own climbing exploits in Meru, filmmaking is just one of Chin’s fortes.

This is a man who’s skied from the summit of Everest, been part of the North Face’s Athlete team for more than 20 years, written bestselling books, and been on adventures in places as far flung as Antarctica, the Karakorum, Borneo, Tibet, Mali and Baffin Island. Oh, and in 2024, he discovered the remains of Sandy Irvine, George Mallory’s climbing partner from the fateful 1924 Everest expedition.

Here we delve deeper into Chin’s remarkable career, detailing the highlights and revealing more about one of the adventure world’s most multi-talented individuals.

Early exploits and an introduction to film

Jimmy Chin was born in Mankato, Minnesota in 1973 to Chinese parents, both of whom worked as librarians. After graduating from Carleton College in 1996, he became something of a climbing and skiing nomad, living in a 1980 Subaru Loyale and chasing conditions between places like Yosemite, Red Rocks, Bozeman and Jackson. This seven-year period was the foundation for his adventures to come.

In 1999, he sold his first adventure photo to Mountain Hardwear and undertook his first forays into the Greater Ranges, completing a duo of big wall climbs in Pakistan’s Charakusa Valley. Further climbs followed, including a first ascent of 3,500-foot Tahir Tower in India’s Kondus Valley in 2000 and new routes on Mali’s Hand of Fatima, the world’s greatest freestanding sandstone tower, in 2001. In the same year he became part of the North Face Athlete team and teamed up with Conrad Anker and Brady Robinson to attempt an ascent of the Karakorum’s K7, only to be trapped on a portaledge for five days by a storm.

Circumstance played into Chin’s hands when, in 2002, he was invited by Anker to join a 300-mile trek across Tibet’s remote Chang Tang Plateau, along with photographer Galen Rowell, Rick Ridgeway and film director David Breashears. Rowell would go on to become Chin’s mentor, while Breashears was unable to make the expedition. In his stead, Chin was handed the role of cinematographer, despite having no experience with a film camera. The rest, as they say, is history. National Geographic, impressed with his work, awarded Chin an Emerging Explorer grant.

Everest adventures, the Himalayas and beyond

Over the next few years, Chin would enjoy some remarkable adventures on Everest and on other mountains in the Greater Ranges. In 2003, he and Stephen Koch were almost killed in an avalanche while trying to take on an alpine-style, direct line up Everest’s immense North Face.

The next year, he was back on Everest and reached the summit alongside Ed Viesturs, another American mountaineering legend, while shooting scenes for the 2015 feature film Everest. In 2005, he joined Viesturs again, first on Cho Oyu, where Chin suffered a cerebral edema due to the high altitude and had to retreat before the summit bid. Nonetheless, he recovered to accompany and photograph Viesturs on the top of Annapurna. This summit marked the end of Viesturs’ quest to ascend all fourteen 8,000-meter (26,242ft) peaks, the first American to do so and all without supplementary oxygen, emulating the great Reinhold Messner.

Perhaps Chin’s most remarkable Everest adventure was in 2006, when he and wife-and-husband Kit and Rob DesLauriers became the first Americans to ski from its top. Kit had successfully completed her incredible project to ski from the summits of the world’s Seven Summits.

Chin also enjoyed several climbing adventures alongside Alex Honnold and Mark Synnott during this period, notably in 2009 when they were mugged at knifepoint in Chad’s Ennedi Desert. In 2010, he took the iconic shot of Alex Honnold on Half Dome’s Thank God Ledge, which featured on the cover of both an issue of National Geographic and Honnold’s Alone on the Wall book.

Meru

A long-time project of American mountaineering legend Conrad Anker was Meru’s Shark’s Fin, a stunning big wall climb on a blade of granite in India’s Garwhal Himalaya. Anker first attempted the route in 2003 with fellow mountaineers Doug Chabot and Bruce Miller and was back in 2008. This time, he’d recruited Chin and climber Renan Ozturk to take on this much-coveted climb. The trio formed a formidable team but severe weather curtailed their attempt after 19 days on the wall, just two pitches beneath the glittering prize of the summit.

By the time the team returned to the mountain in 2011, the situation was less than ideal. Chin had narrowly escaped death in an avalanche while skiing in the Grand Tetons, while Oztruk had suffered skull and spine injuries in his own skiing accident. However, against all the odds, and having dealt with Ozturk suffering to a mini stroke high on the face, the trio made it to the summit.

The resulting 2015 film, directed by Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi, who he married in 2013, was a great success. It became the year’s highest grossing independent documentary, won an audience award at the Sundance Film Festival and garnered critical acclaim. However, the husband-and-wife team’s next film would propel them to much greater renown.

Free Solo

In terms of filmmaking, Chin’s greatest achievement is undoubtedly 2018's Free Solo. Not only did he direct and produce the film alongside Chai Vasarhelyi, he also featured prominently in the narrative. The documentary followed Alex Honnold’s journey on his way to to free soloing El Capitan in 2017. A monumental success, it went on to gross more than $28 million worldwide, capture the imagination of people way beyond climbing circles and win dozens of awards, including both the Oscar and the BAFTA for Best Documentary.

Part of the intrigue that makes Free Solo so riveting is the internal struggles that those around Honnold, including the filmmakers themselves, go through as he squares up to the incredibly dangerous task of free soloing El Cap. This makes it a very post-modern production, in that it turns the camera on itself, exploring the ethics behind filming the risky business of someone performing on the very edge.

The fact that Chin is one of the leading cast members, shows how self-aware the production was. In the film, Chin even admits: "It’s hard not to imagine your friend falling through the frame to his death." However, the team behind the film thought "very, very carefully" before deciding to go ahead and document Honnold’s exploits.

More adventures and creative exploits

Often tasked with capturing stunning photographs and film, Chin’s talents have taken him around the world with some of the adventure world’s elite. From deep water soloing along Oman’s Musandam Peninsula with the likes of Ozturk, Synnott, Hazel Findlay and Mike Shaefer in 2013, to pulling off a 4,000ft (1,212m) big wall climb alongside Anker on the sensational rock fang of Ulvetanna in Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land in 2017.

Chin’s 2021 photography book There and Back was an immediate success, quickly becoming a New York Times bestseller. In the same year, he and Chai Vasarhelyi released The Rescue, which documented the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue of twelve members of the youth football team and their coach in Northern Thailand.

Their first scripted film, Nyad, premiered in 2023 and tells the tale of Diana Nyad's swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida at the age of 64. More recently, the duo co-directed the 2024 documentary Endurance, telling the story of Ernest Shackleton’s great Trans-Antarctic expedition and the discovery of the ship in 2022.

Sandy Irvine’s boot

In September 2024, Chin made a startling discovery on the Central Rongbuk Glacier in the shadow of Everest’s mighty north face. He was there as part of a National Geographic documentary team and was searching the icy expanse along with fellow climbing filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher, when they caught sight of a boot. This was no modern mountaineering boot but a remnant of a golden, ancient era of exploration. The boot belonged to Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine, George Mallory’s climbing partner from the fateful 1924 expedition, 100 years ago.

On June 8, 1924, Mallory and Irvine were heading along the Northeast Ridge towards the summit of Everest, somewhere in the vicinity of the First Step. Cloud obscured the watching expedition member Noel Odell’s view and the pair were never seen alive again. Whether or not they’d made it to Everest’s summit is mountaineering’s most enduring mystery. If they had, they’d have been the first in history, as it’d be 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the official first ascent, on May 29, 1953.

Irvine’s ice axe was found just below the First Step but no evidence of the pair’s fate was unearthed until Conrad Anker discovered Mallory’s body in 1999. Clues suggested that Irvine and Mallory had been tied together and taken a fatal fall.

Chin’s discovery failed to comprehensively solve the mystery, though it’s thought the the Kodak Vest Pocket Camera that Irvine had been carrying may be hidden somewhere nearby. However, Chin and his team have refused to share the exact location of their discovery to discourage trophy hunters.